There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his roomfilled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had awork for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. TheLord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.This the man did, day after day.
For many years he toiled from sun up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of theunmoving rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to hiscabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided toenter the picture placing thoughts into the man's mind such as; "You have beenpushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't budged. Why killyourself over this? You are never going to move it? etc."
This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that hewas a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why killmyself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just theminimum of effort and that will be good enough." And that he planned to dountil one day he decided to make it a matter of Prayer and take his troubledthoughts to the Lord."Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all mystrength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I havenot even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am Ifailing?"
To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when long ago I askedyou to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to pushagainst the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But,is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, yourback brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass thatwhich you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM,this you have done.
For many years he toiled from sun up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of theunmoving rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to hiscabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided toenter the picture placing thoughts into the man's mind such as; "You have beenpushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't budged. Why killyourself over this? You are never going to move it? etc."
This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that hewas a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why killmyself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just theminimum of effort and that will be good enough." And that he planned to dountil one day he decided to make it a matter of Prayer and take his troubledthoughts to the Lord."Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all mystrength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I havenot even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am Ifailing?"
To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when long ago I askedyou to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to pushagainst the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But,is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, yourback brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass thatwhich you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM,this you have done.
I, my friend, I will now move the rock."
1 comment:
ohh, gave me shivers that one! An unexpected outcome that is a good reminder that we don't always know WHY we are doing things.
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