The Industry of an Indefatigable Spirit

the business of faith-filled joy

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus had an indefatigable spirit. His spirit could not be crushed. There was an irrepressible joy that resided within Christ, one that could not be diminished. I believe that Jesus is a perfect example of possessing a joy, or spirit, that cannot remain crushed or despairing. While he became those things for us He did not remain there. After His death, He resurrected, ascended, and lives forever at the right hand of God where He reigns in joy. 

When our life is hidden in Christ so is our joy. We are hidden in the current hope of our future salvation. Our hope does not put us to shame because Jesus has never, and never will, fail those who are in Him. While Jesus reigns and lives, which is forever, we will be with Him. This glorious truth is the solid ground on which we, as Christians, stand.

With the initial foundation laid, let us begin wading into what I mean by the industry of the indefatigable spirit. First, we must define our terms, and what do I mean by industry and what I mean by indefatigable. When it comes to the word industry I searched for a more historical definition. Here is what I found for a working definition¹: 

habitual effort; diligence

In Christ, we have unceasing joy and an unending determination to glorify God in all that we do. In Christ, there is an industry of ceaseless praise and admiration. Revelation 5 comes to mind where the people in heaven are praising God forever, generating songs of praise as they worship the Lamb that was slain. 

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5. 11-14 

In the Psalms as well, we see the creation of praise and the value that is ascribed to such a wonderful God. God is worthy of all the effort we can muster and, indeed, is deserving of it all as well. But, apart from Christ, it is worthless. We must be in Christ for it to have value, for apart from Him we are hostile and enemies of God. We become "workers of iniquity" and our efforts are turned to the industry of sin and evil. There are only two sides in this. We are either doing the works of God or we are workers of evil. 

I believe that with consistent, habitual effort, we learn to submit ourselves to God and set our minds "on things above, where Christ is." As we become progressively sanctified through faithful obedience we produce good fruit that is pleasing to the Lord and beneficial to our neighbors - think good samaritan. When Paul writes in Philippians to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" that is the effort we need to be putting in. Placing it all on the line, by putting our whole lives in God's hands. We should be faithfully trusting in God because He alone can save us and reconcile us to Himself. We trust that the work of salvation is already done, but that we have a responsibility of pleasing God in our salvation and demonstrating to others the joy of being in Christ. 

This brings up a clear point, there is work to do. In this life, we will exert massive amounts of effort to do things. Our lives will inevitably be characterized by what we do, and ultimately, why we did those things. Christ gives us a purpose for our work. We are to be like Him and glorify Him in what we do. Only with the Holy Spirit is this possible and Jesus has given us the Spirit to accomplish the works that He has given us. In Christ and through Christ is this industriousness established. We cannot waste time, every moment counts. I for one, definitely feel the pressure. I do not want to waste my life and I do not want you to waste yours. 

Because we believe that we are not the ones who save ourselves and that we are not the ones who can save others we are freed from the unbearable weight of personally attaining eternal salvation. Being rid of this weight allows us to be free to enjoy God in whatever we do. We are free to choose God again and again and through the Holy Spirit we are empowered to choose Him day in and day out. In Christ, the industry of enjoying God forever is in full force. 

Now that we have established what I mean by industry we can turn our attention to the second part of this newsletter the indefatigable spirit. First things first, let us define indefatigable.² 

always determined and energetic in trying to achieve something and never willing to admit defeat.

Christ is our example, who has endured the horrors of the cross and was tempted in every way so that he can perfectly save us. Looking back to Hebrews 12.2 "for the joy that was set before him..." Jesus knew that there was limitless joy on the other side of the cross and that was worth all of the suffering that he had to endure. He is our hope of righteousness of salvation, of eternal life. He is the one who justifies us before God. We must strive to know and believe all that Christ has done for us and for his glory. We must go to the Word and meditate on it and believe on it. Let it stir in our spirits and well up into an unshakeable joy and hope. 

With this idea firmly in the forefront of our minds. Let's move into how this looks in our life. When we encounter trials and troubles, we count it as joy. When we cannot see Jesus we believe in him and rejoice with joy inexpressible. When we look down the long line of days ahead and are tempted to become daunted by the towering uncertainty of life, we look up and set our eyes firmly on the finished work of Christ. Here is the key to the indefatigable spirit, resting in the accomplishments of Jesus Christ our Lord. We can run and not grow weary because we have taken on the light burden of Christ. For surely he has set us free, and those whom he has freed are free indeed. 

Though beset on every side by our fallen flesh and the chaos of life, we do not place our faith there. There is a recognition of the state of things³ but we do not stay there and get stuck in the "slough of despond".⁴ In Christ, our spirits are hidden in Him. When we look to Jesus we see our savior and because he is our savior, we see our hope. Let us build on the unshakeable foundation of Jesus Christ, our Rock, and our Fortress. 

Let Christ compel you to joy. Be moved for his sake and see where you go. Submit yourselves to God and he will shelter you. If the God of the universe cares for tiny little sparrows and seasonal grasses, how much more will he care for one of his own children? Turn to him, rejoice again and again in the person of Jesus. Go there and be satisfied, then go again and be satisfied more. I hope that this idea is as encouraging to you as it is to me. I encourage anyone reading this to read the Bible and be challenged to the core as to what it says and what it asks of you. But then be amazed by the fact that God has accomplished all things and that he is sovereign over us. These things are what I truly believe represent the idea of the industry of the indefatigable spirit. 

1. Definition of Industry source

2. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/indefatigable

3. By saying the “state of things” I mean the world. Christian, I believe, should have the clearest view of the world and its direction. Ultimately, in Christ, everything has been done and we can rest in Him. There is no need for panic, fear, or worry. Definitely there is panic, pain, and chaos but we are able to wade into it and proclaim the love of Christ. Christians can endure all things.

4. Highly recommend reading Pilgrims Progress which is where the term “slough of despond” comes from.