Every month for the past year, Solomon's Porch has done at least one outreach in our city, most months we do more than one. Yet I have to be honest, we've seen very little fruit from these outreaches. Sometimes when I'm letting God have it, I mean praying, I'll ask one of the great pity party questions of all time, "what's the point?" What's the point of investing time, money, and energy into these outreaches if we aren't seeing lives changed? What's the point of giving away Thanksgiving dinners to needy families when you don't get so much as a thank you from 99% of them? What's the point of challenging our people to give of themselves if there's no visible, tangible results? If people's lives aren't being changed, if they're not walking through our doors, then what's the point?
Last night while I was praying, I was reminded of the point. The point is with every Thanksgiving dinner, every business of the month we take gift baskets to, every backpack and set of school supplies we give away, we're giving someone the gospel. Every outreach, big or small, preaches a sermon...tells our city that Jesus loves them. Maybe you're not big on public speaking but you've always wanted to preach a great sermon...take your neighbor some brownies....watch their kids one night so they can have a night off...it may be the greatest sermon that person ever hears.
The next time you hear me say what's the point, remind me of this post.
I know exactly how this feels. Look at the parable of the sower and do the math.
ReplyDelete25% of the seed falls to the wayside and is devoured
25% of the seed falls on stony places an scorched because there are no roots.
25% fell upon thorns and were choked
The last 25% fell on good ground a yielded a crop yet only 1/3 of that produced a hundred fold, another 1/3 sixty and the other 1/3 thirty.
In our best efforts only 8 percent of what we sow into the world is maximized to its fullest potential. It's heartbreaking, but it what we have to do
God's word will not return void, ever. something else to think about, Mushrooms sprout and appear practically overnight, and some plants never seem to stop growing. You are planting God's seed and some things will take time to blossom but Never doubt the fact that they will indeed blossom in time. Hang in the Jason. We love you and are praying for you.
ReplyDeleteLuke J.