One of the most discouraging things that can happen to a faithful Christian is the apparent futility of his or her work for the Lord. When one faithfully pours his heart into a work, failure is much more painful than if he fails at a job that he only halfheartedly attempted in the first place. Our work in the vineyard of the Lord, in order to be carried out faithfully, will be a work we pour our hearts into. And, when it appears that such work is unsuccessful, it hurts; it discourages. This was true even when God told His servant beforehand that the people to whom he would preach would fight against him (Jeremiah 1:19). Still, Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. It can be very discouraging when people will not listen to the truth.
One reason our work may appear futile or ineffective is the actions of brethren who are working with us. We may ask ourselves, “How can I persuade the lost to follow Jesus when my own brethren act the way they do?” Sometimes Christians find themselves in a difficult struggle or an intense battle in the Good Fight. Perhaps the members of a congregation are involved in a difficult and trying time in the life of their local body and the faithful are doing everything they can to stand for what is right. Or perhaps a team of missionaries is working on some field (foreign or domestic) and is involved in intense Bible study with the lost, teaching classes and individuals for six, eight, ten, or twelve hours a day. When the battle is joined so intensely, we have to understand that our enemy is fighting back just as hard. He won’t win, of course, if we remain faithful, but we have to remain on the alert in order to be faithful (1 Peter 5:8). In noticing some of the attitudes and temperaments of Christians in these situations, I’ve started thinking of them this way. When the faithful are fully engaged in the Good Fight, swords swinging, fighting “knuckle and skull” with our enemy, sometimes we inflict nicks and cuts on our brethren simply because we are in such close proximity and fighting so fiercely. Please do not misunderstand me to be excusing insensitivity or bad moods or biting words. Great care must be taken to avoid such. Having been guilty of some of these things, I have determined to repent of that sin and increase my self-control. It’s not easy, but it can be done. When we find ourselves on the receiving end of a harsh word or an insensitive remark from a brother or sister we’re working closely and intensely with for the cause of Christ, it may indeed be that attention must be called to that injury that has been inflicted. However, we do not have to let the devil win this battle by coming between us (dividing and conquering).
In a marriage relationship, there are times over the course of many years when one or the other spouse, for whatever reason, is not at 100% physically, emotionally, or spiritually and needs the other to give the necessary support to get him or her through a rough time. Loving husbands and wives do that for one another and the relationship survives, even flourishes. Well, sometimes the same things happen in other kinds of relationships and that includes the relationship between Christians who find themselves in stressful times and who may injure one another in the heat of battle. A word of encouragement will go a long way toward healing that wound and preventing the same thing from happening again.
A simple word of encouragement can heal a wound. It can strengthen a person’s resolve to continue when a bad experience threatens to stop his efforts it its tracks. It can turn a frown into a smile and dry a tear. I happen to think tears on the battlefield of the Good Fight is a good thing. Tears signal the passion and love Christians must have in this fight. Tears also signal a need on the part of a beloved brother or sister to whom we can minister.
When you are on that battlefield (and Christians should always be on the battlefield), remember to keep a scabbard full of encouraging words ready to use in an emergency. You never know when a comrade will be wounded, and you may be the only one close by who can heal that wound. God has given you everything you need to get through this battle successfully (2 Peter 1:3), because He doesn’t want anyone to be lost (2 Peter 3:9). He loves you and so do I.
Donnie Bates