Shalom,
Today I want to share this teaching from Bob Yandian!
Are You a Plodder?
Colossians
1: 7 “As you also learned
from Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on
your behalf.”
Have you ever heard of
Epaphras? He was the pastor of the church at Colosse. We are not
told the size of his congregation, the number of satellite locations he has, or
the attendance in his youth group. We do not know if he had a cell group
program or a traditional Sunday School. This is what churches are known for in
our day. We are only told one thing, he was faithful. His name was not
known well in the ancient world. If Paul would not have mentioned him, we
probably would never have heard of him. It didn’t seem to matter to
Epaphras, he remained faithful.
One Step At A Time
A faithful person is a
plodder. A plodder keeps moving each day, driven by the Word of God and
the personal integrity in their heart. We are told we will reap in due
season if we don’t faint. A plodder is one who will not faint. He
never has and never will give up. Unlike many others, he does not gain
great amounts of ground at one time. Yet, when others have given up,
thrown in the towel, the plodder is still going.
When I attended Bible
School I was one of 35 students who graduated. I was the only one who did
not have a ministry position to fill. All 34 of the other students had sent out
resumes and were accepted into pastorates and missions organizations, or their
itineraries were already full to speak at churches. I continued to work at my
job, study the Word, and teach my class at church. During the next ten years,
my life changed drastically with God increasing my call. I ended up as a
teacher and finally the dean of instructors at Rhema Bible Training Center. I
was also prepared in my heart for the call to pastor. God had already
spoken to me. I went back for our ten-year reunion at the Bible School I
had attended and was surprised to find less than ten graduates were still in
the ministry. So many excited students had left for the work of God, but most
had dropped out of the race.
Finishing Is More Important
Than Starting
Many begin a race.
Beginning is the easy part. Finishing is difficult. Many who
begin with a flash will never make it. They bask in the limelight of
popularity, but when the popularity diminishes, so does their stamina.
The plodder draws from the wells of inspiration he has in his own heart.
He has developed a personal relationship with God and will continue
whether anyone stands with him or not. He knows that God will never leave
or forsake him.
Examples of Plodders
It is said that at the
time Billy Graham first entered the ministry, he was one of four who were well
known. He was also considered the least likely to succeed because he was
not as fiery of a speaker as some, and not as handsome and charismatic as
others. Yet, Billy Graham outlasted them all. He built his ministry on
character, not Bible knowledge, anointing, or spiritual gifts. It is not
that all of those characteristics are not important, they are just not as
important as faithfulness. Another word for a faithful minister is a
plodder.
By the time Paul wrote
2nd Timothy, he mentioned that all who began with him had forsaken him at his
first trial (2 Timothy 4:16).
By the time his death sentence was given, only Timothy and Luke were with
him. In prison, waiting to be executed, he asked Timothy to bring the
scrolls and parchments of the Word (2 Timothy 4:13). Plodders may be hurt by those who leave their side
in the ministry, but they draw their strength to continue from the everlasting
Word of God.
Even Jesus saw all of
his disciples forsake him during his trial. Only John returned and stood
by him at the cross.
The important thing is
not who starts, but who finishes. Finishing is much more difficult.
That is why many are at the starting line, but only a few cross the
finish line. God is not so interested in how many begin with Him.
He is more interested in how many finish. This is reserved for the
plodder. Remember, the one who won the race was the tortoise, not the
hare. Your due season is coming, don’t give up!
AMEN! This is one of the greatest lessons we can learn! God has called us, anointed us and appointed us, each of us INDIVIDUALLY, to do what HE has planned for us to do from before the foundation of the world! Be one who will never give up and never give in to the pressure of the enemy to quit! Here is Brandon Lake with "Tournaround":
Shalom in Him!