Does what I do matter? How often does this question invade your thoughts during quiet moments? It’s an effective arrow in Discouragement’s quiver. For those who desire a meaningful life and to make a difference, the critical voice in our head insists we don’t. It mocks us, saying, “Nobody cares; nobody notices.” This accusation doesn’t bother people who don’t care about their legacy but can devour those who do.
There’s an old Irish song that captures the pathos:
“The Minstrel Boy to the war has gone in the ranks of death, you will find him …
“The land of song,” said the warrior bard, “though all the world betray thee,
One sword at least thy ranks shall guard, one faithful harp shall praise thee.”
One Harp
This Minstrel Boy’s sacrifices included giving up his lifeblood for his noble cause — or maybe another’s. His youth amplifies his tragic fate. And what did he receive? Did anyone care? ONE faithful harp to praise him. If our hearts weren’t breaking, our response to his sacrifice would rise to tragicomedy. His sacrifice was vast, while the reward was minimal.
To continue working and thriving, we must feel we’re accomplishing something. If we don’t sense progress or recognition, despair sets in.
Pointless Tasks
In World War II, prisoners were sometimes assigned pointless tasks, such as moving sand or rock piles from one end of the camp to another, only to be told that when they finished, “Now, put them back where they came from.” These prisoners faced the harsh reality of this futility, while others now experience the mental shadows of the same.
Other people, many well-intentioned, often add to our dismay. They criticize our good deeds because they don’t see our entire lives.
Even Jesus was persecuted for doing good. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day found ways to critique His ministry. Is it ever bad to heal a man? You wouldn’t think so, but they found a way:
“(Jesus) entered the synagogue, and there was a man who had a withered hand. They (the Jewish religious leaders) watched Him to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him” (Mark 3:1-2).
Jesus didn’t get angry often, but He did here:
“When He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch your hand forward.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel (regarding), how to kill Him” (Mark 3:5-6).
Three Enemies
We have three main enemies to living lives that seek eternal value:
The world is under Satan’s control, so it will discourage us.
The critical voice from our sinful nature will persistently haunt us.
Satan will actively seek to destroy us.
Checklist:
So, what’s the missing piece to our distress? How can we be sure we’re living meaningful lives? We can use the following points as a checklist to help win the mental battle until the day our feelings align:
Negatively
We can’t depend on our feelings. It’s crucial to recognize this, even if it doesn’t lessen our suffering. While it’s true that we can’t control how we feel in the moment, we can realize that those feelings might not be justified.
We can’t depend on others to validate our contributions. People can’t see everything we do and can’t judge us accurately. Too often, they echo the critical voice in our heads, implying that we’re not doing anything meaningful.
We cannot rely on circumstances to always work out in our favor. We live in an evil world. The Bible says that until Jesus comes to rule on Earth, Satan is the god of this world (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Positively
We can control our lives, what we support financially, and how we treat others. When we have a clear conscience, it won’t condemn us. The Apostle Paul stated that God requires faithfulness:
“For I know nothing against myself” (1 Corinthians 4:3).We can trust that God sees everything. If we keep our hearts pure before God, we can remain confident:
“He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the … Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the purposes of the hearts. Then everyone will have commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5).We can trust that God will help us through prayer. He seeks those who seek Him and provides everything we need to please Him.
Ultimately
God will determine whether we’ve lived a meaningful life with eternal benefits. We can mentally rest in that until our feelings follow.
We pray for those who suffer with this question.
