Sermonette - April 9, 2018

“Probably the worst enemy of enthusiasm is time. Human beings have a remarkable and sad capacity for getting tired of wonderful things. Almost every one of you can think of something you were enthusiastic about recently, but now the joy is faded. Your first day of vacation on the coast the sunset was breathtaking and made you so happy you could sing. But by the end of your stay you hardly noticed it any more. Vacationers get tired of sunsets, millionaires get tired of money, kids gets [sic] tired of toys, and Christians get tired of doing good. At first the excitement of teaching that Sunday School class was strong, but now you have grown weary of well-doing. The thrill is gone. At first you felt clean and strong in the Holy Spirit as you drove the van, taught the Lao English, led the small group, visited the newcomers, started reading the Bible, worked in the emergency shelter . . . but now you have grown weary in well-doing. The inner power and joy have seeped away. It's a chore. You've lost heart” (John Piper).

This quote reminds me of a verse that the Apostle Paul wrote in the Book of Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10).

I think it is important for us to understand that we do grow weary in doing good to those around us. Maybe we get tired and wonder does it even matter? Perhaps, we have never received the accolades we thought we would receive. Or maybe we have grown blind to the needs around us in our own community. Whatever the case may be, we must embrace that it is the small things that we do that make the biggest difference in the lives of those around us. For example, taking the time to listen to someone’s story, the times when you open the door and greet someone with a smile, or those times when you take time to pray for someone when they express a need. Those are the moments that make a difference!

It is the small acts of kindness expressed over and over again that shapes a culture. Said in another way, consistency over time leads to breakthrough. You eventually reap what you sow.

I once heard, “Water can eventually break through a rock not because of its power but because of its persistence.” With this in mind, know that you can have either a positive or negative impact on an atmosphere, simply based off of the little things that you do. So today, do not grow weary in doing the small things for the people around you. As you have opportunity, do good to all people. Honestly, you do not have to look very far for opportunities to do good—they are right across the street!