Are You a Discouraged Disciple?

Jesus promises you in this life you will have troubles.  You know the next part of the verse intellectually.  You have read it many times that you should take heart as Jesus has overcome the world.

Yet, sometimes it is really hard to do.  You set out as a laborer for Christ with the best intentions and a bold heart and the storms hit.  The tribulations of the world seem overwhelming.  The trials seem too much.   Even worse, you have great hopes for a work of faith…and nothing at all happens.  It feels like you are just floundering.

This may be in “ministry”, church work or an official ministry.  It also can be with your work or family.  You might have worked up all your courage and prayed with all your heart before preaching the Gospel to a loved one and it seems like nothing happened.

It is so easy to be struck and to feel defeated.  It is so simple to focus on the trial Jesus promised and forget the victory.

If this is you, take a lesson from Jeremiah Lanphier.  He was just a regular guy like you and I.  He set out to start a simple prayer meeting and put everything he had into it…and no one showed up.   He trusted in the Lord and kept going.  Then something amazing happened.