Faithfulness & Fruit

Brad here again. Just a few thoughts from the roof of a friend's here in Peje...  As I sit here the call to prayer has just gone out across the city.  One goes then another and then another.  The "faithful" are now making their way to their respective mosques or so they should be.   

Some of you will have gotten word from me earlier in the week of my frustration and my disappointment about the situation here.  Just to bring you up to speed, much of what I spent my time working on over the last 2 years seems about to be brought to an end, not because of its success but because of its failure.  I arrived 1 week ago with high hopes and great expectations only to find disappointment and discouragement.  Am I alone in my feelings? No! I take some solace in hearing over dinner last night that 3 other colleagues, here for an equal or longer time and investment as I are also facing opposition, undermining of their integrity by disciples and plain hard heartedness. 

This is not the stuff missionaries are supposed to write about.  Fruitlessness, discouragement and opposition are not the topics of good support raising or what sending churches want to hear.  But, be assured, it is the stuff of missionary life, and not only missionary life but of the Christian life.  We are called to be faithful servants of our King.  It is up to him to make the heart of stone turn to a heart of flesh and follow him.  But as one of his sent ones, I often think I have a hand in bringing the lost, the hungry and needy to him.  Its by my efforts that they are so fortunate to hear the good news.  Arrogance, that is all that is.  Who am I that I should turn any one to Christ? Its by Grace alone that any man is saved, not by my works.  What a valuable lesson for me to learn.  I have left my family, I am investing funds and time, I deserve to see the fruit!  What a lie that the evil one has used to discourage me this week.  If there is fruit it is to the Lord's glory not my own that I should boast. 

Am I, are we, called to be faithful? Absolutely!   As I was so apply reminded by a friend recently are we not to feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned? Yes we are.  But do we do it to gain the inheritance prepared for us before the foundations of the world?  No, we do it because we are called to a life of compassion as we live out our Christ centered lives.  Do we gain this inheritance, most certainly.  When we are standing at the front of the judgement line are we to rattle off our achievements for him who achieved all for us?  Certainly not.  

I hold out the hope that in my sometimes faltering faithfulness he has used me to make his good news known and that some might stand as a testimony on that last day to his faithfulness in spite of me.  Good night friends and hold to the course you have been called to.  He is using us all, even if we don't see it today or know the results tomorrow.