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Two Buckets on Their Way to the Well

By T. Ray Rachels

Distance runners, I’m told, reach a point where their legs and lungs give out. Runners call this feeling "hitting the wall." This phrase captures in essence their feeling that it’s no use to go on because of the physical and mental "splat" against an invisible but horrific barrier. For some, this is quitting time. What began as a race with high hopes closes around their now utter fatigue, broken concentration, and collapsed dream of finishing the race. Some, that is, but not all.

In plowing on through the stages of hurt, wheezing, and anguish, some runners keep picking ’em up and putting ’em down. Somehow (though they may know not how) they keep running.

This reminds me, in a small way, of our work in ministry. I don’t know of any who haven’t "hit the wall" from time to time and come to the point of giving up because of the pain and/or consequences of keeping on.

The ministry is a selfless calling: "Others, Lord"; "Not my will, but Thine be done"; "Look [out] on the fields"; Jesus came to "seek and to save the lost"; "even so send I you"; and "Go ye into all the world."

Why should I be the one to hit a wall when my call is to be a partner with Jesus Christ in the salvation of people, and to "run with patience (endurance) the race set before [me]"?

One response to this question is that our work is not done alone–it always has relationship added to it. This means that other people are involved. They are involved with us and their opinions impact ours. We sometimes don’t like or appreciate their impact or opinions, and this means we may "hit the wall." From time to time we must be scraped off that wall.

One of the works of God’s grace is to help us get past the wall so we can keep picking ’em up and putting ’em down. We’re no good to any relationship unless our running is covered with grace and that grace is seen to be effective. This is where daily prayer is vital. You talk to the Father, and He talks to you. Daily prayer is at the core of any healing of our exhaustion in ministry.

Jesus said: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest" (Matthew 11:28—30*). That’s a great passage for out-of-breath saints.

Often the people to whom God has called us present us with the most acute challenge to our patience (endurance) in the race. Have you heard any of these phrases?

• "We’ve never done it that way before."
• "We’re not ready for that yet."
• "We tried it once, and it didn’t work."

When you face these kinds of obstacles, there’s really only one place to begin your response: "Strip down, start running–and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed–that exhilarating finish in and with God–he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever" (Hebrews 12:1,2).

Relationships take work, and they’re never one-sided. Patience and endurance begin with me, not the other guy. My job is not to shape up other people, but to shape up myself. God is big enough to take care of my neighbor. It’s amazing how responsive and good other people suddenly become when I’m in spiritual shape and covered with "running grace."

The following illustration encourages us even in difficult times:

There were two buckets on their way to the well.

"You look mighty sad," said one bucket to the other.

"I was just thinking about the futility of what we do," said the sad bucket. "Time after time we go down to the well and get full, but we always come back to the well empty."

"You’ve got the wrong slant," said the other bucket. "I enjoy what we’re doing. The way I look at it, no matter how many times we come to the well empty, we always come away full."

"God can do anything, you know–far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us" (Ephesians 3:20).

Now, that’s something worth running for.

T. Ray Rachels is superintendent of the Southern California District of the Assemblies of God, Irvine, California.

*Scripture references are from Eugene Peterson’s, The Message.