Daily Digest #75

What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? —Micah 6:8

I guess patience plays a major role in dealing with futility. There are times when we feel useless, even though we do our tasks day after day. We try to find out what we can reap while we thrive on sowing.

I felt this during the first few months of sharing my reflections. As I added people in my daily emails, I looked forward to their reaction, openness or simple acknowledgment. Personal praise was never part of my agenda. Only hope that the words coming through me would touch hearts and get others to praise, worship and thank the Lord. As the week passed, there came a point when I asked God if I should continue sharing or not. He made me realize many things in my writing... how personal opinions should not be revealed if it would not aid spiritual growth in others, and gear them towards the truth based on the Scriptures instead. How responsible one should be in his/her words and actions. How very much open to judgment one could be upon performing such task, since one might seem self-righteous to others. Some of the people surrounding us may play the role of a skeptic, a critic, watching every action, as if finding proof that we are not so credible after all. But I was also reminded that we are all entitled to give our own opinions. I realize how He gives courage and strength to those who serve for His purpose. How God humbles us more, and overwhelms us with glorious, and usually unexpected, turn of events. A day after I asked God if I should carry on or not, someone suddenly replied to me, one who I find very unlikely to respond. That's when I knew I got my answer. :-D

Sometimes, when we do not see the big picture of the small tasks that we do, we are discouraged to carry on. But God has His ways of making us see and know that He is always up to something far greater than we imagined. From that moment on, I was able to cast out my fear of judgment. And I was able to practice not to expect. Because expectation creates frustration. And it defeats the purpose of goodwill and service. We can only praise and thank Him more when we learn that others' hearts were touched and have begun to walk their life with Jesus Christ. One thing I learned from teaching in school is when one student out of many others is willing to listen and learn, you have to teach. I guess it's the same with spreading God's word. One soul is always worth it.

For this, may we never be discouraged in times of futility. May we not resort to idleness. May we make the most of the time given to us for His purpose. May we keep a close relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. Pray always.