I have been watching the Tour de France these last few nights. And each stage I find myself drawn to cheering for the brave handful that break from the safety of the pelaton and streak away up ahead. I watch the distance between the break-away and the chasing pack and as the line draws closer, invariably it seems, the gap between them lessens and lessens until they get swallowed up by the masses of bikes again.
It's no fun leading the way. There is just a lot of hard work, sweat, tears and even some blood, but little reward. Or so it seems.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
In each generation, God appoints some ministries to go ahead of the pack, to break away from the safety of the pelaton. It is often for a variety of reasons, but primarily those that run ahead carry a burden to seek to restore and reform the church to become more like the bride that Jesus Christ is soon returning for.
Unavoidably, if you are one of these forerunners you will know (or find) that you will be accompanied regularly by tears. Swimming against the tide is no easy endeavour.
There is graft, there is heart-break, there is pain, and there is tears of toil that goes with plowing a previously unplowed ground. Eschewing the seemingly easier fields and well worn pastures, the tears of forerunning are unavoidable.
But there is a pay-off. We also are given a promise that those tears are not wasted. Those tears sown will reap great joy. The joy of serving Him, the joy of being satisfied in Him, the joy of finding out He is more than enough. And yes the joy of the harvest.
In the kingdom of God, great pain magnifies the joy of great reward.