Don’t Lose Heart
You don’t need any reminding – there are a multitude of reasons one can be stressed, anxious, discouraged, frustrated, dumbfounded, confused, or to put it mildly – over it. A pandemic, political insanity, societal upheaval, blatant wickedness, and then of course, there are still the everyday, ordinary things too.
Followers of Christ, servants of the Gospel, we too can grow weary or lose heart.
Charles Spurgeon referred to what he called, “the minister’s fainting fits.” * Here are a few highlights. When we may grow weary, discouraged and lose heart:
1. After a time of “great success.”
“Whirled from off our feet by a revival, carried aloft by popularity, exalted by success in soul-winning, we should be as the chaff which the wind driveth away, were it not that the gracious discipline of mercy breaks the ships of our vainglory with a strong east wind, and casts us shipwrecked, naked and forlorn, upon the Rock of Ages.” - Spurgeon
2. Before any great achievement.
“This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry; the cloud is black before it breaks and overshadows before it yields its deluge of mercy.” – Spurgeon
3. In the midst of long hours of work.
“The bow cannot be always bent without fear of breaking. Repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body. Our Sabbaths are our days of toil, and if we do not rest upon some other day we shall break down.” – Spurgeon
4. When we are struck by a shocking blow.
“We are all too apt to look to an arm of flesh, and from that propensity many of our sorrows arise. Equally overwhelming is the blow when an honored and beloved member yields to temptation and disgraces the holy name with which lie was named.” – Spurgeon
5. As troubles multiply.
“Constant dropping wears away stones, and the bravest minds feel the fret of repeated afflictions.” – Spurgeon
6. Or we don’t know why.
“One affords himself no pity when in this case, because it seems so unreasonable, and even sinful to be troubled without manifest cause; and yet troubled the man is, even in the very depths of his spirit.” - Spurgeon
The Apostle Paul knew discouraging days and faced incredible challenges. As we consider these things, the words of Scripture offer encouragement for us today…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart (2 Cor 4:1) … But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (2 Cor 4:7).”
By way of application, I hope you will join us in person or online for the Empowered Conference on Spiritual Warfare in a Time of Crisis with Chuck Lawless. Also, we plan to offer an adjusted schedule for Annual Homecoming this year, with an in-person option (with social distancing) and online option, so we can celebrate 175 years of global missions and also encourage one another to persevere in the Gospel ministry. You are not alone!
Your brother in Christ,
BRIAN AUTRY
P.S. What Scriptures encourage you when you are close to “fainting”?
*Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, chapter eleven.
https://www.amazon.com/Lectures-My-Students-C-Spurgeon/dp/1598565176
Or you can find Spurgeon’s writings online in various locations.