AM I WASTING MY TIME AND EFFORT?

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58.

The phrase, “sharing your faith” can bring up all kinds of emotions. It might trigger excitement and gratitude or nervousness and anxiety. We sometimes have it in our minds that sharing our faith requires effective public speaking and extensive Biblical knowledge. People are concerned that if they couple their public speaking with their Biblical knowledge, awkward and sometimes weird conversations are going to be the end result. It can seem so intimidating to start a conversation with someone about God and religion and faith in general, especially when you don’t know where they stand, how they feel, or even whether other Christians have soured them on Christianity.

But before you start to worry or become anxious remember it is only through the power of God that people are saved. It simply doesn’t happen through human effort ability or knowledge. This should take off some of the pressure when we are concerned we are not saying the right things or when we don’t have enough Biblical knowledge

Success in evangelism is measured not in the outcome, but in your obedience to the command of Christ. The story of Jesus and the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-30 is an example of this point. The young man approached Jesus, interested in hearing about how to get to heaven. You would think that any encounter with Jesus, the Son of God, would have been a sure-fire conversion. This was not the case. After Jesus told him the cost of discipleship, the Bible says, “when the young man heard this, he went away sad…” If Jesus was rejected, we can be as well. But that does not mean it was a waste of time. You could be planting the seeds that God could water and grow in the future.

You may look back at over their life and the hundreds of people you’ve connected with and wonder whether you make a positive difference. Could you have done more? The Apostle Paul speaks on that subject: “With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort” (1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG). Nothing that you do for God is a waste of time or effort.

So, the next time you have a moment of doubt wondering if your life is making any difference in the world, or having that awkward conversation with somebody about the gospel is really achieving anything: stand your ground and don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Lord, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.

What you do matters, more than you realize and could life and peace and joy here on earth and an eternal life in heaven.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe that anything you do for God is a waste of time or effort? Why or why not?
2. What are some of the obstacles to sharing our faith with others?