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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for July 20, 2009
“Don’t Quit Your Church Job”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Don’t quit your church job!
I know you might be tired of doing it. I know it might seem unrewarding. I know people don’t appreciate you like they should. I know it’s a lot of hard work. But those are not good reasons to quit.
First Corinthians 15:58 says, “...Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord…”
I’m talking to those of you who work in the ministry, whether you get paid or not. Most likely it’s at your church, or it might be in a parachurch organization or a missions group. But right now you are surrendering your time to do the work of the Lord.
I want to encourage you today – keep up the good work! Don’t grow weary in well-doing.
I know you could spend your time doing something that makes you more money. I know you could do without the hassle, and you would enjoy the extra free time.
But please, don’t quit your work for the Lord.
I know, it might seem like all your efforts are in vain. Maybe it just doesn’t seem to be doing any good.
But let me tell you, you just do not know how much of an impact you might be having.
Here is an illustration I often use to encourage myself. My goal is to nudge people. No, I can’t make people do anything, but if I can at least nudge them.
If I can nudge them even just one degree over in the direction of Christ. I want to nudge them toward the light, toward truth, toward righteousness, toward the Gospel.
So I’m not judging my efforts by whether I’m making a radical change in everyone’s life. To me, that is setting the bar impossibly high.
But if I can consistently nudge people, to remind them of right versus wrong, to get them to take a deeper look into the things of God, then that encourages me to keep going.
So maybe you aren’t radically changing everyone’s life everyday, but that is no reason to quit. Remember, a little nudge here and a little nudge there can make a radical difference over the long haul.
So be encouraged today, encouraged to keep working for the Lord!
I know hard times come. I know your dealings with people can be a pain.
And I also know you have an enemy that wants you to quit. Anything to get you to quit, to stop working for the Lord.
And to be honest, I believe God tests us sometimes.
I know I test my own children. I will let them go through things that I could prevent. I will let them make decisions that I would just as soon make for them. But I will let them proceed as a test, to see what they are made of.
I think God does the same thing with us. I believe He tests our dedication. When the going gets tough, will we give up?
Hebrews 6:11 talks about showing diligence to the very end. Verse 12 says not to become lazy, but instead it offers these two words: faith and patience.
Patience is what you exercise when you feel like quitting. Instead of quitting, just be patient; and put your faith in the Lord.
Now listen to this. It might just seem unfair. It might even feel like a bit of a rip off. Here you are, throwing yourself into ministry, but others who don’t seem to care about the ministry are prospering more than you.
Maybe you should just quit and join them. Go work for yourself for a change instead of all this ministry.
Like I said, it can seem unfair.
But then comes Hebrews 6:10. “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”
Did you hear that? God is not unjust. He will not forget your work.
Then it says, “…as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”
So are you helping the Lord’s people? Maybe you are even doing the most mundane things to help the Lord’s people.
That includes cleaning the bathrooms at church. That includes dusting the pews, or changing yucky diapers, or crawling under the sink to fix it with rust dropping down in your eyes.
There are so many jobs that help make a ministry go, and all of them are important. They all play a part in helping the Lord’s people.
So if you are tired of doing them, please don’t quit.
Instead, with patience and faith, just keep going.
And remember, God is not unjust. He will not forget your work “as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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