Unfruitful Work

“Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to these people? Who will go for us?’  I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8 NLT)

In 2008, a 17-year-old college student named John Chau felt called to be a missionary. He responded to God with the words from Isaiah: Here I am. Send me. He had read about North Sentinel Island, a remote, uncontacted island in the Bay of Bengal. The Sentinelese are wary of outsiders and respond to intruders violently. Cut off from the rest of the world, they live in thatched huts and hunt with bows and arrows. John Chau put an aerial map of this isolated island on the wall of his dorm room.  For the next nine years, he studied linguistics, wilderness medicine, and anthropology. He prepared his body and mind to live without modern conveniences. He made several trips to other islands in the region. In November, 2018, John Chau landed on North Sentinel Island. Fishermen from the nearby Andaman Islands saw his dead body on the beach a few days later. The news about John’s death was broadcast all over the world. Most reports implied that he was foolish and naive. John knew that he was risking his life, but he was willing to die to follow God’s call. 

“And he said, ‘Yes, go, and say to these people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” (Isaiah 6:9-10 NLT) 

God is letting us know ahead of time that those who do His will can expect rejection. Most people are not going to be receptive to the message of Christ--whether we speak it or live it by example. We will be misunderstood, ignored, mocked, and persecuted for following Jesus. Our sacrifices will seem unfruitful. In the world’s eyes, everything we do seems like a waste of time. Yet, in God’s economy, faithfulness is highly prized.  Fidelity leads to focus. Passion allows us to suffer. Devotion draws us into intimacy with God. Whether our attempts to reflect Christ are fruitful or not, He is pleased by our dedication to honor Him.