By Lauren Maggs. If you missed part 1, click here
A while ago, my husband and I attended the funeral of his great aunt. She was a wonderful, faithful Christian woman who had served the Lord with great perseverance.
At her funeral sat many of the children she had taught in Sunday school through the years, up until the year that she passed away. This woman is a great inspiration to us. How we long to serve like she did! We long to serve the Lord with perseverance and faithfulness, not falling away because of exhaustion and hurt or discouragement.
Previously, we looked at what truths we need to hide in our hearts to keep us inspired to serve. Now, we will look at the practical tools God has given his people to help us to keep on serving him for a lifetime.
God’s Word
Read God’s Word. Just read, and keep reading. Just one passage a day. God’s Word is a double-edged sword (Heb 4:12). God will do his work through his Word to accomplish change in us. Read with a friend, read in a group. Just keep reading his Word. Having access to God’s Word means that you have access to exactly what God wants you to know about Him. He know exactly what is going on in your heart all the time. Why not let the One who knows all thing speak directly to where you are?
Prayer
Prayer is all about connecting with God himself. Prayer is a great privilege. We can come with confidence before the throne of the King of all things because of Jesus. We can come knowing that he wants us to cast our burdens on to him. This is the source of the greatest peace there is. Even if it feels cold, rather pray than don’t pray. Use this little model, the teaspoon prayer to help.
T – Thank you
S – Sorry
P – Please
God’s people
We were always saved to be part of a Christian family. The Christian journey was never one we were expected to walk alone. The greatest joy is found in walking with other Christians. We are meant to be witnesses to one another. As we gather together in church and in Bible studies, for prayer groups and for life events, we are pictures to one another of God’s faithfulness and grace. If you are struggling with discouragement, you can look to your brothers and sisters who have walked through seasons of discouragement before you, and see evidence that God has been faithful. This will remind you that God will be faithful to you.
Never buy into the lie that you don’t need church. You need church like a nose needs the rest of the body! Which is why we keep on forgiving and being patient with our Christian family – they are part of us and our walk with the Lord. Enjoy the sweet fellowship of other Christians as a foretaste of what we are looking forward to in Heaven.
The Lord has not left us without the tools we need to fight discouragement so that we can keep on serving. These are not unexpected tools. In fact, they are rather unglamorous in their familiarity. However, God knows that they are exactly what we need to keep on serving him for a lifetime. May it be said of each of us one day, “this wonderful, faithful Christian served God with perseverance.”