A Fortified City
How Do I Keep Going?
In my previous post, I wrote about Ezekiel’s call to preach God’s Word to a rebellious and stubborn people—people who wouldn’t listen to anything he said. This was a reminder to us as pastors to keep preaching God’s Word, even when it’s out of season and people refuse to listen.
Yet, it’s not easy to keep proclaiming God’s Word when you’re not seeing any fruit. At times, it feels like a pointless endeavor. There are moments when we’re tempted to quit and do something else—something that would make a “bigger impact for the kingdom.” Some Sunday afternoons, pastors may even question their calling to ministry, asking themselves, “If nobody is listening to me, does that mean I’m not called to the ministry? Should I start looking for another vocation?”
So, how do we keep preaching God’s Word—fulfilling our calling from God—when it seems like nobody’s listening and we’re tempted to quit? Jeremiah’s call to ministry has been helpful in answering this question for me over the years.
Jeremiah’s Call to Ministry
Jeremiah’s call to ministry is very similar to Ezekiel’s. God tells Jeremiah that he’s been appointed to be a prophet before he was formed in his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5) but nobody was going to listen to him either. But God tells him, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:7–8, ESV). Basically, God tells Jeremiah, “No excuses. Go where I tell you to go. Say what I tell you to say. If you do that, you will fulfill your calling.”
But the question remains, how does Jeremiah keep going? How does Jeremiah fulfill that calling when it seems like there’s no fruit? On the one hand, we know it wasn’t easy for Jeremiah. He is called “The Weeping Prophet,” after all. Yet, this is the comfort God provides Jeremiah along with his difficult call: “But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:17–19, ESV). God will strengthen him to continue on in his calling. He will make him a bronze wall, an iron pillar, a fortified city. People will ignore him and attach him, but they will not prevail because God will give him strength and stamina to continue on in his task. Jeremiah will become discouraged and tempted to quit, but God will lift him out of the pit, set him on his feet, and give him strength to continue proclaiming his word to a rebellious people.
God’s Strength In Us
This is the only way we will persevere in our calling—especially in our current cultural situation. The Word of God is “out of season.” Many see God’s Word as either foolish or offensive. Pastors will be tempted to quit proclaiming God’s Word, water it down to make it “easier to accept,” or proclaim a different message entirely.
The only way we will withstand these temptations is to continue in the strength that God supplies. If we rely on our own strength and our own abilities, we will fail. We will either leave the ministry or forsake it by preaching a different gospel. We must fulfill our calling in God’s strength.
Fulfilling Our Calling By Faith
That’s tricky to understand. How do we actually do that? Here’s my short answer: by faith. That may sound like an oversimplification, but let me explain further. When we are discouraged because it seems like nobody is listening to God’s Word, we must refuse to quit—having faith that God will use our ministry for his glory. When we enter difficult situations, where we have no idea what to do or say, we enter those situations by faith—trusting God will give us guidance and words to speak. When we enter difficult seasons of life and ministry, and don’t feel like we have the strength to keep moving forward, we keep moving forward by faith—trusting God will give us enough strength to take the next step, and the next step after that.
By faith, we grab hold of God’s promise that he will strengthen us to complete the task he has given us. Then, by faith, we go wherever he tells us to go, and say whatever he tells us to say. That’s how we fulfill our calling in the strength that God supplies.