Suppose your boss calls the whole staff together for an impromptu meeting. You show up like they told you, grab a seat, and take advantage of the break by sipping a specialty coffee.
Right on schedule, your boss shows up and begins the meeting with these words, “Now, I don’t want you to get discouraged.”
How would you react? I’d be nervous! If everything had been going great in my job, I’d wonder what problems I’d been missing. And if I knew all about the issues the company was dealing with, the optimism of my supervisor wouldn’t inspire me! Either way, I’d feel down!
Six times the New Testament tells Christians not to lose heart. Do you obey this precept or does that instruction make you apprehensive? Afraid that trouble is right around the corner? Are you already struggling with certain matters? And now you have the added burden of painting a smile on your face while you feel like yelling or crying?
Losing heart means to get discouraged. We lose heart when we don’t see positive results from our labors. We either receive nothing for all the work we put in or we experience the opposite of what we hoped for. Outcomes like these tempt us to give up and abandon our efforts.
Let’s take a look at the six verses to find out what the Lord intends for us.
Prayer
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” – Luke 18:1 (NASB)
The parable Christ shares (Luke 18:2-8) is about a widow who brings a complaint before a judge. He ignores her; she doesn’t seem to be worth his time. He might have been expecting a bribe and she couldn’t (or wouldn’t) pay him off. But she kept returning to the court and wore down the judge. To keep her from pestering him, he agreed to hear her case and grant her request. She got justice because she persisted.
The widow didn’t have any reason to keep at it; in truth, she had every excuse to give up. The pattern was clear–the judge wouldn’t pay attention to her. What inspired her to fight this reality? She believed that the future didn’t have to be the same as the past. She couldn’t tolerate the situation that brought her to the judge, and she didn’t want to endure his attitude. So, she pressed in and her relentlessness paid off.
When we know that something doesn’t line up with the will of God, we’re motivated to seek change by talking to Him about it. If we don’t get our way the first time, Jesus pushes us to keep at it. God’s not selfish like the judge; He wants to hear from us. If we find the answers to our prayers delayed, let’s not take that as a sign the Father doesn’t care. He does! Will we trust Him?
Ministry
“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart.” – 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NASB)
Paul reveals that Christians serve the Lord as a response to God’s mercy. We’re not trying to pay off a debt we owe Jesus; even if we tried, we couldn’t repay Him for dying on the cross for us! But since we’ve received the grace of God through Christ, we aim to share it so others can enjoy His kindness.
Only things don’t always go according to plan! Some people resist the gospel, whether through hostility or apathy. Others are too distracted to notice. Still others are committed to their own way of fulfilling their religious obligations.
When we obey the Lord and serve Him in the way He designed us to, we expect blessed results. How do we respond when we don’t get those? When we’re ignored? Or mistreated?
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB)
Ministry can take so much out of us that we feel our life ebbing away. But that’s only half true. Paul discovered that in the midst of his physical afflictions, his spiritual life grew stronger. Jesus hadn’t forsaken him, and the Holy Spirit hadn’t abandoned him. Paul’s trials were real, but the power of God within him was greater. Every day was fresh because the Lord was renewing the heart of His apostle. Paul didn’t give up on God because He didn’t give up on him.
It’s one thing to win the battle over discouragement in ministry. No matter what you’re going through, the thought that you’re doing it for the Lord bolsters you.
“Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.” – Ephesians 3:1 (NASB)
But how do you react when someone’s suffering for you? Putting myself in the shoes (sandals?) of the Ephesian Christians, I’d feel bad twice over. First, news of the afflictions of my friend and respected leader would hurt my heart. Second, I’d feel worse knowing that he was enduring all this for me. It would be real easy to blame myself for Paul’s trials.
Sensitive to these mental gymnastics, Paul invites the church to brag about his trials. “They are your glory,” he tells them. They are? You mean I should boast about Paul’s pains? Who does that? It sounds crazy!
But here’s where we reach the paradox of ministry. No matter what, it’s worth the cost. Identifying with Jesus, allying ourselves with humble leaders–these actions strengthen our souls by teaching us the value of prioritizing the kingdom of God.
Good Works
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” – Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
“And as for [the rest of] you, believers, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].” – 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (Amplified)
God’s Word doesn’t restrict encouragement to religious activities like praying or ministering. It covers the whole realm of good works. Paul exhorts the Galatians and the Thessalonians to persevere when they do their best but don’t see any benefits.
Sowing seeds is hard work and for a while, it appears to be a waste of time because the seeds lie fallow below the ground. But if we stay the course and do the little things–watering the soil, pulling weeds, getting rid of pests–we can anticipate a harvest. But only if we don’t give up.
Application
The Bible entreats us to not lose heart in the face of apparent failure or actual opposition. Jesus assures us that He’s mindful of our situations and our endeavors. His Spirit encourages us to press on. When we dare to trust Him, we will enjoy His reward.
If you’ve surrendered to your circumstances, dust yourself off and get back in the game. The Lord wants to work in you and fulfill the plans He has for you. Count on Him to give you the courage to resume. By His grace, you won’t lose heart.
You’ll keep it in Christ.
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