I'm a pastor in a church plant that's struggling. Some weeks we have more leaders than attendees. We're constantly questioning whether we're really making a difference. Paul's prayer asking God to encourage hearts and strengthen them in every good work is what keeps me showing up.
There's a kind of discouragement that comes from trying to do something good and seeing so little visible fruit. It's easy to wonder whether you're wasting your life, whether the work matters. But Paul suggests that God's role includes active encouragement, not just in emotional terms but in the reinforcement that makes work feel worthwhile and possible.
When I encounter this verse, I'm reminded that my job isn't to generate the growth or the success. My job is to show up, to be faithful, to love people well. God's job is to encourage and strengthen. That division of labor has been what's kept me faithful during seasons where I see almost nothing to show for the effort. The work itself is being strengthened by something beyond what I can generate.
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