Don’t Lose Heart
By Caron Cline
Burke County
Summer has now slipped into Fall, bringing the cooler weather that we have anticipated for several months. Unfortunately, our world is still consumed with anxiety. This present situation reminds me of Jeremiah 8:20. “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved’. The enemy of our soul has exploited the COVID 19 virus for his own purposes, rendering many believers powerless through his tactics of fear and oppression. By now, we were confident that this pandemic would be a thing of the past, but there seems to be no end in sight. Jesus said that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, growing continually weary as one disaster after another arises. Jesus explained the state of the world in the last days in Luke 21:10 and following, “…Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven”. Current events should be no surprise to the followers of Christ. Amid unfamiliar and terrifying situations, we must set our minds on the things above, not losing heart but being strengthened in faith. The mission of reconciling others to God through Christ will never be altered despite the winds and waves that seek to capsize our vessels. Rather than cowering in fear, we are called to rescue those who are drowning in a sea of unbelief. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only available lifeline that guarantees eternal deliverance.
The second part of our mission is to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘bear’ as ‘suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, etc.’ If we bear one another’s burdens there will be some suffering involved. The word that Paul used for ‘burdens’ here means ‘heavy burdens’, more than a person should carry alone. The law of Christ is to love one another; to put others’ interests before our own. We must never fall for the lie that we are above falling for a lie. Regardless of our spiritual maturity, the enemy has schemes designed specifically for each believer, therefore, we must never consider ourselves too spiritual to be deceived. The purpose of remaining connected to a church family is to strengthen and restore one another in the event of an enemy attack. Those who find themselves entangled in Satan’s deception should seek a godly brother or sister who can assist in repairing the damage, removing the debris, and restoring that one to full fellowship in the body of Christ. As we fulfill the law of love, it is imperative that we guard against burn-out, or losing heart. The phrase ‘lose heart’ was commonly used for the kind of fear and exhaustion a woman experiences during labor. During those hours, many women wonder if anything is worth such excruciating pain. However, once new life arrives, it’s a whole different story. The pain and exhaustion seem but a distant memory. Although our world seems to be unraveling, we must maintain our mission, dying to self and living only for the pleasure of our Lord. We must not grow weary in doing good for we will reap a harvest. (Galatians 6:9-10) This global pandemic is no surprise to God nor does it alter His plans for planet Earth. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. May we answer the call to be workers in His harvest despite it all, echoing Paul’s words, ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’!
________________________________________________________________________________
Caron is a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Morganton, NC. She loves to teach the word of God.
Her desire is to see every believer grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
You can read more Christian News from Caron HERE.
________________________________________________________________________________
