Have you ever felt forgotten, like you did all the work for something but someone else ended up getting the reward? I’m not just referring to a job, where you want a promotion and someone else who does no work ends up getting it; I’m talking about when you put in a lot of effort for something, and it is forgotten, or unappreciated, while someone else who literally just exists, gets what you wanted, what you were chasing, where it seems to just fall into their lap, many times without even asking for it.
This has been on my mind a lot lately, and it’s really frustrating. I don’t even know if I’m wording it right on here.
One of the worst things someone ever told me (and this was someone I think very highly of and have a huge amount of respect for), was that God doesn’t care about effort; that no matter what, God is going to just do things his way. That was the last thing I needed to hear on that day, besides, “There’s other fish in the sea…” I totally disagreed that God doesn’t care about effort; sure, his will prevails, but we can’t just sit by and think that everything just falls into place: your future boss at your dream job is not just going to call you out of the blue, and your future significant other is not just going to ring your doorbell and say “Here I am!” You have to put forth quite some effort. But the cruel irony is seeing someone who just has everything seem to go their way get what you want without any effort. It can actually discourage you from wanting to try at all for something, hoping that maybe for once things will just fall into your lap.
I know this verse is taken a little out of context, but the principle behind it still applies:
“God is not unfair; he will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other believers.”-Hebrews 6:10
The Lord remembers; he will not leave you empty-handed. He has promised that the righteous will be rewarded; he knows what we need before we even ask him (Matthew 6:8). A brother once told me that if you’re trying to do the right thing and you’re asking God for help, he will take care of you. That was a few years ago, and I’ve kept it in the back of my mind ever since.
Don’t be discouraged; the Lord is mighty to save and nothing is too hard for him (Isaiah 63:1; Jeremiah 32:17).
Grace and peace-
-Dan
Dan Gaitanis 