If You Feel Unfaithful, Come Anyway
By Glenna Marshall
It’s rare that a new Christmas song finds it way on to my permanent rotation. I mean, you can’t beat the classic Advent hymns, right? Yet, a new song from Sovereign Grace has been playing on repeat in my ears the past few weeks, and I think it is particularly meaningful for those of us who are struggling in ministry.
We all know the familiar Christmas carol, “O, Come All Ye Faithful.” It’s a call to behold Jesus and to adore Him, to sing in praise and worship for His first coming. The worshipers are called “faithful,” joyful,” and “triumphant.” All of these monikers are true descriptors of believers for Jesus has made us faithful, given us joy, and makes us victorious over sin as we grow in the faith. And yet, sometimes we don’t feel very faithful, joyous, or triumphant. Sometimes the discouragement of ministry life paired with our own personal trials leaves us unable to identify with the terminology of the old Christmas hymn. This can feel especially true during the holidays for a multitude of reasons. Though we shouldn’t let our feelings define who we are (the Bible tells us who we are in Christ—see Romans 8:26-39), we can and should bring our feelings and struggles to the Lord in all honesty. This can be worshipful, too.
Sovereign Grace’s new song, “O Come, All You Unfaithful,” written by Bob Kauflin and Lisa Clow, gives a way for us to worship in our lack. We might feel like we have nothing to bring to the Lord except our sufferings and longings, but as the song says, we should come anyway. We don’t come to Christ for what we have, but for what He gives. The gospel begins with our deep need of Jesus, and the power of the gospel continues in our life as Jesus meets our needs each day.
“Come, though you have nothing. Come, He is the offering.”
Enjoy this video of the song, “O Come, All You Unfaithful” and be encouraged that the Lord beckons you to come to Him with whatever it is that weighs down your heart. Is it your floundering ministry? Your depression and anxiety? Is it an empty womb or a wandering child? Is it a broken marriage or a longing to be married? Financial distress? The wounds of church members leaving your church and breaking their relationship with you? Is it a continual fight with sin you don’t feel you will ever have victory over? Or a prayer request you’ve labored over for decades? Whatever it is, come to the One who is faithful and has done great things. See what your God has done.
Some questions to ponder after listening:
1) What keeps you from unburdening yourself before the Lord?
2) How has the Lord proved faithful to you in the past?
How are you comforted that Christ was born for you?
Glenna Marshall is married to her pastor, William, and lives in rural Southeast Missouri where she tries and fails to keep up with her two energetic sons. She is the author of The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough (P&R) and Everyday Faithfulness: The Beauty of Ordinary Perseverance in a Demanding World (Crossway, June 2020).