Watchman Nee said that very often, Satan uses discouragement, especially when nothing else works. I can attest to that. Zechariah 4:10 begins with, "For who has despised the day of small things?"
My now wife and I started a Bible school. It was a battle to get the venue. It took a number of miracles. It was also expensive. Towards the end of the lease, Covid hit and we were unable to run classes. We never had as many attending as I'd expected or hoped for. Our intention was for two years, so we duly closed the school.
I speculated from time to time about what I perceived as under achievement. Set up and lease costs drained my bank account. I know better than to allow it to depress me (at last!), but the devil does remind me of how little fruit there was.
One of the people who came was a young man who had been recently saved. He was just passing by and saw the signage. He was zealous but also proud. We shared the teaching with him and gave him a book to read. He came back and was not at all happy. He was not impressed with the writer of the book.
I could see that he was upsetting my wife, so I said that he should leave the school. He was plainly not happy with that either! Some time later, he crossed my path again. He was much different. God had done a work in his life and the pride was not evident.
We met him again when he started going to the same church as us. We have had fellowship with him and invited him around for meals. We've been able to encourage him in his walk with Jesus.
I don't remember saying that I was disappointed by the lack of fruit with the Bible school. I was saying goodbye to him when he shared something I've not heard from him before. He said that he was going off the rails in his Christian life when we first met him. He said that we were instrumental in getting him back on track.
Brethren, we do not know what influence we have on our family, the people we work with, our neighbours or church family. It can be for good or not so good. I know of people who have been saved about as long as I have who preach to vast audiences around the world. God has called them to that. Some are witnesses to only a few. And that may be exactly what God asks of you.
As we consecrate our lives to Jesus, invite Him to live in and through us, and allow the cross to do it's work, God will use us as He sees fit. That may be a "great" work or a "small" thing. What is essential is that it is a "God" thing.
My now wife and I started a Bible school. It was a battle to get the venue. It took a number of miracles. It was also expensive. Towards the end of the lease, Covid hit and we were unable to run classes. We never had as many attending as I'd expected or hoped for. Our intention was for two years, so we duly closed the school.
I speculated from time to time about what I perceived as under achievement. Set up and lease costs drained my bank account. I know better than to allow it to depress me (at last!), but the devil does remind me of how little fruit there was.
One of the people who came was a young man who had been recently saved. He was just passing by and saw the signage. He was zealous but also proud. We shared the teaching with him and gave him a book to read. He came back and was not at all happy. He was not impressed with the writer of the book.
I could see that he was upsetting my wife, so I said that he should leave the school. He was plainly not happy with that either! Some time later, he crossed my path again. He was much different. God had done a work in his life and the pride was not evident.
We met him again when he started going to the same church as us. We have had fellowship with him and invited him around for meals. We've been able to encourage him in his walk with Jesus.
I don't remember saying that I was disappointed by the lack of fruit with the Bible school. I was saying goodbye to him when he shared something I've not heard from him before. He said that he was going off the rails in his Christian life when we first met him. He said that we were instrumental in getting him back on track.
Brethren, we do not know what influence we have on our family, the people we work with, our neighbours or church family. It can be for good or not so good. I know of people who have been saved about as long as I have who preach to vast audiences around the world. God has called them to that. Some are witnesses to only a few. And that may be exactly what God asks of you.
As we consecrate our lives to Jesus, invite Him to live in and through us, and allow the cross to do it's work, God will use us as He sees fit. That may be a "great" work or a "small" thing. What is essential is that it is a "God" thing.
