Some days it seems that discouragement is easy and being tired is our default position, but if you are like me and know you have "miles to go before we sleep" as all church communicators do, I wanted to share with you a kind of stream of consciousness of some quotes I read this week that encouraged and energized me.
It started with David Guzik, in his commentary on 2 Peter (I was reading it while preparing to teach a Bible Study) who quoted F.B. Meyer. Meyers was a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody, a Baptist pastor and evangelist. Read these quotes and then I'll comment on their application for church communicators:
F.B. Meyer said, "There are two ways of entering a port. A ship may come in, waterlogged and crazy, just keep afloat by continual working at the pumps; or it may enter with every sail set, her pennon floating at the mast-head. The latter is what the apostle desires for himself and those who addresses. He desired that an entrance abundant should be ministered unto them. . . . . the idea of an "abundant entrance" was really a choral entrance. The idea was of a Roman conqueror coming into his city, welcomed by singers and musicians who would join him in a glorious, happy procession into the city.
.....
"Will your entrance into heaven be like that? Will you enter it, save so as by fire, or to receive a reward? Will you come unrecognized and unknown, or be welcomed by scores and hundreds to whom you have been the means of blessing, and who will wait you?" (Meyer)
All of you who are working so hard in church communications—what a wonderful welcome you can look forward to!
Eternities are changed by the work you do each week. People come to church who are lonely and afraid; they find Jesus, forgiveness and salvation; they are encouraged to struggle one more day with pain or depression, family challenges and financial trials.
YOUR words, your communications change lives now and forever.
And when you feel you aren't equal to the task, another encouraging quote from F.B. Meyers:
“Ah, afflicted one, your disabilities were meant to unite with God's enablings, your weakness to mate His power. God's grace is at hand -sufficent— and at its best when human weakness is most profound. Appropriate it and learn that those who wait on God are stronger in their weakness than the sons of men in their stoutest health and vigor.”
― F.B. Meyer
One more thing
Many of us have been at this a long time haven't we? When that is the case it is easy to think that we owe ourselves the opportunity to slow down, to not force ourselves to learn one more social media program or make one more change to appeal to whatever audience needs whatever they need.
Truth be told, some days we just want to go to sleep.
On a day like that I was listening to a radio report about Jane Goodall, primatologist and anthropologist whose work with great apes made her well-known.
The interviewer said to her, "You are 84 years old now, isn't it time for you to slow down?"
Jane answered her, "Yes, I'm 84. Slow down? NO! It's time for me to run faster!"
I needed that.
And then I was reminded of two more things
Paul's challenge to us:
1 Cor 9: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Put that with Neil Young's lyrics and. . . . .
Long may you run!
