Useless Labor

“He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.’ I replied, ‘But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward,’” (Isa. 49:3-4).

I just had a conversation with my mom about how what I’m doing seems so useless.  I keep thinking that God could use me better if I were helping an orphanage, or living in a foreign country “saving the heathens”, or leading the “lost believers” in true, authentic worship.  Somehow, teaching awkward adolescents about Active and Passive voice pales in comparison to the aforementioned tasks. 

I look at someone like Isaiah, the chosen mouth-piece of the Almighty God, and think, this guy has it going on!  He proclaims God’s message to the lost—he brings God glory!  Isaiah is everything I think I want to be (well, I don’t really want to be a man, or despised, rejected, and single…), but even Isaiah feels useless in his job.  He finds no contentment in what he does. 

Contentment is found in this, “Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward,” (Isa. 49:4b, emphasis mine).  There is no rest or reward in “doing” things for the Lord—only in trusting him and leaving life in his hands.  I am still trying to define myself by what I do; no wonder I am so disappointed and restless! 

Isaiah holds the key.  He is everything I want to be (again, not the man part—I would hate having to shave every day!).  Regardless of my job and seemingly useless labor, I leave it in God’s hands and trust him.  He knew what he was doing when he sent Jesus into this world as a baby to bring salvation; I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s doing putting me in charge of 108 9^th graders.  After all, as the traditional American spiritual declares, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”!