Against discouragement

Friday July 9, 2021

Against discouragement

And you, would you have big plans for yourself ? Do not think about it anymore. Jeremiah 45: 5

Baruch, faithful secretary to the prophet Jeremiah, is in the throes of discouragement. He expresses it with bitterness : Woe to me ! for the Eternal has added sorrow to my pain ; I got tired of my moaning, and I couldn't find any rest. It is not without reason.

A member of a respected family, Baruch finds that his master’s prophecies have no effect on the ungodly conduct of Jehoiakim, king of Judah ; on the contrary, he even burns the scroll in which he had recorded them. From now on, God's judgment against Judah is inevitable.

Desperate by the unbelief of the people, Baruch resumed his writings under the dictation of Jeremiah but could not bring himself to the fall of the kingdom. God then reveals to him the source of his depression : he desires to achieve great things, but he is reduced to helplessness. He has even been accused of inciting Jeremiah on behalf of the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 43:3). Perhaps he thought he was well placed, having access to the king, to undertake reform, but God shows him that it is unnecessary given the situation (Jeremiah 45:5).

Isn't that current ? Who among Christians today can bring themselves to so much infidelity in the people of God ? Who has not wished to remedy, by some great means, doctrinal errors, immorality, compromises with the political system of the world, divisions, sectarianism ? Who has not aspired to bring about deep reforms, to achieve great things ? Do not seek them, answers God to such ambitions. So what to do ? Indignant ? Groan ? Worry ?

Every Christian has a service to perform in the Church. If he has not yet discerned it, let him ask the Lord to teach him and devote himself to it faithfully. For example, we do not know what Archippus' service consisted of, whether it was discreet, whether it was public... The important thing is that Archippus does it well (Colossians 4:17).

Every Christian, a member of the body of Christ, has a function, like the members of our physical body. The Word does not draw comparisons of their respective importance. On the other hand, it gives the essential criterion for building the body : that each part cooperate in its measure (Ephesians 4:16), no more and no less !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)