3‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? – Haggai 2:3 (NIV)
It doesn’t take long, does it? You start with excitement to obey the Lord and follow His will, and then the reality of the long, hard road sets in. And heaven forbid you start comparing yourself to the giants of the faith you’re learning about, or even other people you know who are on the same journey with Jesus.
In less than a month’s time, the people who had repented and recommitted to the rebuilding of the Temple are starting to become discouraged and are battling feelings of insignificance. Whether they saw the old Temple or not, they’re all fully aware of it’s glorious splendor. And they also know that they’re never going to be able to match or exceed what once was, no matter how much passion and effort they put into it.
What if what they were building seemed like nothing in their eyes because they had the wrong perspective? After all, the Lord never asked them to re-create King Solomon’s Temple. He simply asked them to be faithful to the task He called them to. And as long as they are moving forward with that task, then nothing they’re accomplishing is insignificant.
What if their discouragement was largely rooted in the comparison game they’re playing? They think the only way their work is going to make a difference is if it looks like something they’re already familiar with. What’s funny about this is that later in the message from Haggai, the Lord makes it clear He’s not asking them to build a copy of something old because He’s on a mission to do a brand-new thing!
Be strong and courageous as you move forward with the Lord and all that He is asking of you. Your sacrifices are building His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Do not be overwhelmed at the difficulty of what lies ahead. Obedience is your responsibility – the outcome is His. Do not despair, you have His Presence with you. And that means all of the grace and strength you need is already provided.
As a church, we must be strong and courageous – even when it seems like our labor for the Gospel of Jesus doesn’t seem to bear as much fruit as the revival meetings and reformation movements of the past. Do not despair and begin comparing “success” with the church down the street or the ones with national and global followings. Trust in the Lord, be faithful and obedient to the calls and commands He has given us, and know that labor for the Lord our God is never labor in vain – the best is yet to come!