Discouragment.
Discouragement. You know that same old trick that Satan uses to get you to stop serving God. The tactic that makes you doubt the same group of people you were certain care about you. It is the same methods to clip a Christian’s wings when they are long and strong. Destructive and unexpected. For me, I felt like I wasn’t capable of doing anything success while doing the work of the Lord. It didn’t help to compare but it also was discouraging when all you see are the successes of others. I gave it some thought and really took the time to dwell on it.
We are fishers of men. Keyword: Fishing. Well, I have only gone fishing once in my life. Back in 1999, I attended 5th-grade summer camp. We had learned a lot of survival tips, however, I remember going fishing the most. It was a challenging concept to understand for an 11-year-old, mind you. First, you set up your fishing line and hook. Next, you had to get the best bait, the best worm and hook it so that it stayed. Excitement swells as we all prepared our hooks. We were learning about how to position ourselves, not casting a shadow. Instruction proved the best from the experienced fisher, yet to our dismay catching the fish proved quite difficult. Others in the group found fishing to come natural, almost as any skill such as cooking, singing or engineering. The thing about talents some of us acquire them naturally, others might not. It may take years before we see any of our efforts succeed. There were a few of us that had no luck even though we were following the directions.
We are fishers of men. Jesus Christ was the expert at this. In God’s Word, the Bible he was teaching his apostles on how to become fishers of, not fish but, men. We read the words daily and we strive to imitate Christ Jesus methods closely ensuring that we do everything correctly. We constantly check ourselves and daily examine our hearts, motives and, methods. However, what has been stumping me for quite some time was my progress and confidence myself. I was doing the same thing we have all been taught as true followers of Christ. Service bag ready? Check. Presentation-ready? Check. Love for neighbor? Check. Modest apparel, while weather appropriate? Check. I checked the boxes but I was not getting any bite while out in the ministry. My viewpoint was not in the right place. I wanted the glory of service and the highs that many of the brothers and sisters are enjoying. Doubt. I felt I was cut out do the work of the Lord. Discouragement and Doubt clipped my wings. Results of our ministry do not depend on success, hours, and interested ones, however, they rightfully belong to the owner.
We work for the most compassionate employer that no man could ever imitate. Jehovah God. He understands us inside and out even better than we know ourselves. This moment made me redirect my thinking on the matter. We enjoy the work, we enjoy the Christian brotherhood, and every morning we rise in the morning and do this because of the “Love.” It’s a stark contrast compared to the world we live in. They wake up in the morning to make the most money, to acquire the most things, to please themselves before God, and they are very competitive yet unmoving. Alive one morning, dead the next. Their work brings pain, struggle, and depression ensues when they turned up empty-handed. That’s where I will start changing my viewpoint and not becoming ensnared with turning in a lot but doing what I can in the work of the Lord, focused on the joys of being with others, and prayerful that my work will be blessed and fruitful for God. He deserved the praise always.
Satan had me deep in his grip for a moment, but the reasoning on the things of God breaks us free from Satan’s tactics common to men. Discouragement.
We are fishers of men. Keyword: Fishing. Well, I have only gone fishing once in my life. Back in 1999, I attended 5th-grade summer camp. We had learned a lot of survival tips, however, I remember going fishing the most. It was a challenging concept to understand for an 11-year-old, mind you. First, you set up your fishing line and hook. Next, you had to get the best bait, the best worm and hook it so that it stayed. Excitement swells as we all prepared our hooks. We were learning about how to position ourselves, not casting a shadow. Instruction proved the best from the experienced fisher, yet to our dismay catching the fish proved quite difficult. Others in the group found fishing to come natural, almost as any skill such as cooking, singing or engineering. The thing about talents some of us acquire them naturally, others might not. It may take years before we see any of our efforts succeed. There were a few of us that had no luck even though we were following the directions.
We are fishers of men. Jesus Christ was the expert at this. In God’s Word, the Bible he was teaching his apostles on how to become fishers of, not fish but, men. We read the words daily and we strive to imitate Christ Jesus methods closely ensuring that we do everything correctly. We constantly check ourselves and daily examine our hearts, motives and, methods. However, what has been stumping me for quite some time was my progress and confidence myself. I was doing the same thing we have all been taught as true followers of Christ. Service bag ready? Check. Presentation-ready? Check. Love for neighbor? Check. Modest apparel, while weather appropriate? Check. I checked the boxes but I was not getting any bite while out in the ministry. My viewpoint was not in the right place. I wanted the glory of service and the highs that many of the brothers and sisters are enjoying. Doubt. I felt I was cut out do the work of the Lord. Discouragement and Doubt clipped my wings. Results of our ministry do not depend on success, hours, and interested ones, however, they rightfully belong to the owner.
We work for the most compassionate employer that no man could ever imitate. Jehovah God. He understands us inside and out even better than we know ourselves. This moment made me redirect my thinking on the matter. We enjoy the work, we enjoy the Christian brotherhood, and every morning we rise in the morning and do this because of the “Love.” It’s a stark contrast compared to the world we live in. They wake up in the morning to make the most money, to acquire the most things, to please themselves before God, and they are very competitive yet unmoving. Alive one morning, dead the next. Their work brings pain, struggle, and depression ensues when they turned up empty-handed. That’s where I will start changing my viewpoint and not becoming ensnared with turning in a lot but doing what I can in the work of the Lord, focused on the joys of being with others, and prayerful that my work will be blessed and fruitful for God. He deserved the praise always.
Satan had me deep in his grip for a moment, but the reasoning on the things of God breaks us free from Satan’s tactics common to men. Discouragement.
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