Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged when you’re trying to be a faithful Christian.  You try and try to overcome this sin and that sin and become better in this area and that area.  Yet it seems like there’s barely a day that goes by…or maybe no day that goes by at all…without you messing up in some way or another.  You try to have a positive and grateful attitude, but then life throws you another major curve ball and you’re overcome with burdens, disappointments, heartaches, anxieties, and sorrows.  Others around you seem to either not care about you as you would like, or they seem to focus more on your failures and weaknesses than your successes and strengths…and maybe you start to think that God is the same way.

It’s also easy to become discouraged when you’re trying to teach and encourage others to follow Christ faithfully.  Maybe you’re an elder or deacon in the church who is trying to get more of your brethren involved in various ministries only to find that it’s like pulling teeth with some.  You might reach out to a Christian who is caught up in sin and plead with them continually to repent…all to no avail.  Perhaps it seems with some of your brethren that they interact with you primarily to complain to you…or about you.  Maybe you’re a minister or Bible class teacher who works really hard to teach God’s Word in an understandable and relatable way to the older folks, the young adult crowd, the college or youth groups, or the kids in elementary school…and it seems like some of them aren’t paying attention, aren’t interested in what you’re saying, or won’t participate in any discussion you try to generate.  Sometimes you could observe that as time goes by some brethren should be maturing spiritually in various ways as a result of your continual teaching from Scripture on how God wants us all to be…but they aren’t.

It’s also easy to get discouraged when you try to bring the gospel to lost souls.  Maybe you hit the pavement in your community by knocking on doors, only to regularly find little interest in Bible studies or invitations to visit worship services.  Perhaps you’ve been trying to show the biblical plan of salvation to a family member, close friend, or co-worker…and they continually reject plain biblical teaching about grace, faith, repentance, baptism, or the oneness of the church.  It could even be that you’ve been having a great study with someone and they give every indication that they completely understand what you’re showing them about salvation from the Bible…but they don’t commit to baptism.

What does God want you to do?  See what Paul wrote above.

He has just spent an entire chapter describing to Christians about how the Lord will bring them back to the life on the last day and deliver them to the Father in heaven where they will be with him in eternal glory, never to die or suffer in any way ever again.

“Therefore” – for these reasons – “my beloved brothers, be steadfast.”  Constant.  Persistent.  “Immovable.”  You will never leave the Lord.  You will always remain behind him, following him.  “Always abounding in the work of the Lord.”  Not just working for the Lord, but abounding in the work.  Working a lot for the Lord, and doing so always.

Why?  Because you are always “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” because eternity in glory is waiting for you.

— Jon