The Trap Of ‘What’s The Point?’

       Do you feel as if the year is running so fast, you are yet to catch your breath? Talking to a young lady the other day, she was  complaining that it’s as if there is a conspiracy in Heaven against her to make sure she doesn’t succeed no matter how much she works hard. When I asked why she thought so, she went on a litany of how her ‘mates’ are doing so much better than her despite the fact that she works hard and serves the Lord Jesus Christ just as hard with all she has. With the way the year is looking, she thinks it will be the same old experience as the previous years. It is like she cannot catch a break! She threw her hands in the air and exclaimed, “What’s the point, what’s the point of working hard, of serving, of toiling day and night with no appreciable results? After all, she continued, the Bible says: “…The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). What’s the point of even trying she concluded. One could honestly understand her pain and frustration as we have all been there at one point or the other; and many are trapped there still. It is a terrible trap that binds and blinds sons of God from being whom they have been created to be. For brevity, I will state two sure ways in Christ one can get out of this awful and dangerous trap. 

       First and foremost you must agree with God that your living and walking on the earth is not pointless or meaningless, but you are where you are doing what you are doing because God purposed it to be so: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:13 -14). God’s works for which you are part of are not random but perfectly formed, timed and for a particular purpose to please Him; for this reason the Psalmist declared: “And that my soul knows very well”. Even Paul knew this and declared: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among Gentiles…” (Galatians 1:15-16a). When one knows, understand and agrees with the Lord on this point, nothing will be impossible: “Everything is possible to the one who believes” (Mark 9:23). This assurance gives you hope in Him that you will win no matter what the enemy throws at you: "But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them..." (2 Timothy 3:14).

       Secondly, when Jesus was going to call His first set of Disciples, He didn’t call them from the multitude that had been following and listening to Him. He rather went to the sea side, to a group of weary, down in their luck fishermen. The Bible says, He got into one of the boats, asked them to row out a bit so He could preach to the multitude on the shore.  The owner of the boat (Simon) didn’t mind his boat being used as a pulpit, despite a disappointing venture the night before. Friend, how many times (if any) have you allowed the Lord to use your position, desk, car, business, house and many other platforms that you have as a pulpit to preach to others not minding what you were going through at that point in time? You claim to serve the Lord, but are yet to surrender ALL to the Lord! You serve the Lord as is convenient for you. Such would live a life of “time and chance” and will continue to walk under the heavy and dreadful mantle of: “In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life…In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:17,19a). This is not to say that we should not work hard; but there is a difference in working hard and toiling. In toiling, the outcome is never commensurate to the amount of work put in. When Jesus was done preaching, He told the men to row deep into the sea and let down their nets for a catch. They must have laughed at Him since (in their minds) He does not know the rudiments of fishing; thus – “But Simon answered and said to Him, Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…” (Luke 5:5a). Friend, your surviving and entering this year is the Lord telling you to launch out and like Simon, you must agree and declare, no matter what your situation is: “…Nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5b). This is TRUST. God wants you to walk with Him in total Trust. Unless this is done, one would go through pointless and meaningless motions this year again. 

       Friend, this is a call to be fully assured and confident in Him; trusting Him to take you by the hand and lead you into wondrous and fertile plains for His glory. He knows where the fish are, allow Him to teach you and take you there. If you are reading this piece and you have not surrendered your life to the Lord, you will miss out on what God is saying. But so as not to, do pause, bow your head now and ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him to come and be the Master of your heart and life...If you did this, welcome to His Kingdom and I can assure you the journey of life on this part of eternity will be better and more rewarding for you and yours in Jesus Christ name. God bless you.