I cannot tell you how many times I have felt I had spent my time and energy on something that never produced results. This can include fitness routines, diets, skincare products, hair care, “self-help” fixes, and the list goes on. Can you think of something you spent way too much time, energy, or money on that left you feeling wasteful and worse off than when you started?

For me, I have felt the worst when I invest time, energy, and a lot of times money, into people. People who, no matter what I do, show no signs of change or improvement. Don’t misunderstand me. I, in no way, serve others with the expectation of being served in return. On the contrary, I serve others because I want everyone to know Jesus–the same Jesus that completely changed my life and set my feet into a destiny I never knew possible.

I serve because I know every act of Christ-like character plants a seed into people’s lives. However, there is still a part of me that becomes disappointed when I do not witness the “fruit of my labor” so to speak. Do you know what I am talking about? That feeling that leaves you devastated because you have done everything possible to share the Gospel, show your faith by your good deeds, and love them into a relationship with Jesus, only for them to walk away. And, you’re standing there like the past several years meant nothing to them.

I remember one relationship in particular. One of my dearest friends did not know Jesus as her Lord. I loved her so much and wanted nothing more than for her to meet Jesus and fall in love with Him and His love for her. For five years we talked about faith, family, and the Christian life. She was intrigued by my lifestyle, beliefs, and outlook on life, and always felt comfortable asking me questions, but when I invited her to church with me, she politely declined each time.

I was committed to her. I would not stop serving and praying for her until I witnessed her surrender her life to Jesus–however long it would take. After all, I saw her almost every week for five years. There was no way I was going to give up on her.

But, God doesn’t always promise a harvest after seasons of planting.

My husband and I received the news that we would be moving hours away from our friends. My heart was broken into a million pieces. I felt I was my friend’s only Christian witness, and if she didn’t know Jesus by the time we said goodbye, I was going to fail her.

I drove away from our home for the last time devastated. My dearest friend never asked Jesus to be her Savior, and I felt exactly as I had imagined. I felt I failed her. Not only was my heart broke for her, but I also felt that the endless time and energy I had spent on her was wasted. Had I really labored this whole time in vain?

Sometimes, we as Christians are called to plant seeds for another brother or sister to harvest. And sometimes this is extremely difficult. We like results. We like feeling our time and energy and money are well spent. It’s difficult to imagine emptying ourselves in any way, only to be left with nothing to show for our labor.

I left that day discouraged and burdened for my friend, but also inwardly frustrated. She was the one friend I had asked God for five years to bring to Himself, and now, what did I have to show for my fruit as a Christian in this relationship where I had been called?

It is easy to believe ourselves to be failures when we do not see results from our faith and obedience. We can become discouraged and prideful—adamant that we will never waste our time like that again. But, my friends, if I have learned anything during the excessive amount of times I have never seen fruit from my labor; it’s that God’s faithfulness is worth sowing into.

Regardless if we witness a harvest from our planting, God remains faithful. When we are obedient to Him, we not only sow into people, but we sow into the Kingdom of God. People may not show any signs of change or improvement, but our faith does not rest in the progress of people. Our faith rests in the Creator of the World; therefore, we cannot become weary in doing good, for it is promised–at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

We, as Children of God, need to strengthen our faith and narrow our perspective when we are called to situations that require our time, energy, and money, because God’s faithfulness is worth sowing into. You may be called to plant seeds your entire life, or you may be called to be the harvester of someone else’s efforts, but no matter what your purpose is for the Kingdom, the Word of God does not fail—

The one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8).