"Stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
(I Cor. 15:58b Msg.)
Yesterday I had lunch with an old friend
and in the course of the conversation he said, "Dwight, do you remember Glen Myers?" (I had met regularly with Glen for 2 3 years in what I later concluded had been a futile effort to motivate him toward a meaningful walk with Christ.) "Yes. Why?", I replied. "Hes walking with God. All your efforts at helping him paid off!" Surprised, my mind flashed back to I Corinthians 15:58:
"Nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
I then recalled George Crane
: Years of pouring my life into this rather crude, recovering alcoholic. Seemingly to no avail, as he appeared to lay spiritually dormant for a decade, only to explode on the scene to become a powerful force for the Gospel. Again:
"Nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
Years ago I spoke at a weekend retreat for U.S. military personnel in the Philippines
. It was a disaster. Returning home with my tail between my legs, I lamented to my wife, "I wasted those mens time with second rate talks. Nothing of consequence happened!" Years later I ran into a missionary in Thailand who informed me that it was at that retreat God called him to missionary service. Again I was reminded that,
"Nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
Paul instructs us that love is the most powerful and enduring force in the world
: "Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (I Cor. 13:13b) That being true, I have become convinced through observing its effect on people, that no loving effort directed toward a person in the Name of Christ is ever wasted or lost. It will affect their life in favor of the Gospel. Either now, or later.
If we understand that our very life, laid on the alter of Gods service is in itself an act of worship (Rom. 12;1), than whatever we do in the Name of Christ ("a cup of water"? Mk. 9:41) is a sacred expression of worship. Nothing is wasted. (See Job 31:15-20; Isa. 58:6,7; Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:7; Gal.6:9,10)
Somy friend, wash peoples feet, so to speak. Give them a cup of water
. Help the widows and orphans (Jas. 1:27). That is, aid those among you who can least afford to reward you. Just do it as an act of worship to God. Everlastingly engage in the little-noticed, unheralded expressions of Calvary love, because,
"Nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."