“So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything move you. Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your work in the Lord is never
wasted” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NCV).
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your work in the Lord is never
wasted” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NCV).
Sisyphus. His is not a common name. Sisyphus is the mythical Greek king who was punished for his cruelty to others by pushing a large rock up a steep hill, only to find it rolling back when nearing the top.
There’s a bit of Sisyphus in all of us. We work tirelessly day after day, wondering if our labors are in vain. Washing the laundry that never stays clean. Filing reports that no one will read. Saying a kind word that isn’t returned. It’s easy to throw up our hands in frustration and say, “What’s the use?”
We are not alone. St. Augustine once lamented: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new.” Augustine grieved over the time he wasted early in life. To Augustine’s way of thinking, all of his pursuits throughout much of his existence were futile.
However, the Apostle Paul countered this feeling of uselessness by claiming that as we dedicate our lives to the work of Christ, no venture we undertake is ever squandered. God wastes nothing. Every experience, good and bad, make us the persons we are. Just as Sisyphus was strengthened in pushing a boulder up a hill, God continually is shaping and forming us for a purpose we often cannot see.
Paul assures us that God is behind every difficulty and hardship. Through these challenges, God trains us to love him and love each other more faithfully. Therefore, embrace the rock. Keep pressing forward and upward. Don’t give in to the false alarm of futility.
Just be certain to step out of the way when the rock reverses direction!