Don't Be Discuraged

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
-1 Corinthians 15:58.

I was speaking with a good friend of mine on Skype the other day, and he shared this verse with me. The following morning, this verse was in my Bible reading. Look at the words. Have you ever been discouraged in doing things for the Lord? Maybe you've not won as many (or any) people for the Lord. Maybe your attendance is down. Maybe people are not responding to your message. All these things can (and do) cause us to get discouraged. And when we get discouraged, we start slacking off on what we are called to do. I know, I've been there.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Look at the words that Paul gave to the church. We should be stedfast and unmovable. In the preceding verses, Paul was writing about the end times. He was writing about how we will get a new body about how we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Then he tells us to be stedfast and unmovable. Can we be stedfast and unmovable-even in a world like we have today? YES! But the key to being stedfast and unmovable is to know what God has called you to do. The key is to know what the will of God is on your life, and then to do it-no matter what. Look at the rest of that verse. "always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." To remain stedfast and unmovable, we must continue doing the work of the Lord-even when times get tough. I think the key to motivation in continuing God's work is found in the end of this verse. "knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." There have been many times that I've gotten away from what the Lord wanted me to do, only to be convicted about it later. But, Paul teaches that our work for the Lord is not in vain. If nothing else, you're helping yourself to grow in the Lord. 

One thing I've learned over the years of serving Jesus is this: times of discouragement will come. Times will come when you're tempted to quit. Times will come when the joy you once had for your ministry disappears. Times will come when you hate your ministry. It's those times that you must be unmovable and press on. It's those times that you must continue in the work of the Lord. Are you in one of those times now? Let me encourage you to be unmovable and stedfast. Keep doing the work of the Lord. God will bless you. Think About It.