Plodding. Present progressive, meaning to work laboriously and monotonously, to proceed in a tediously slow manner, to move, progress, or develop at a slow but constant and deliberate pace. It’s not generally thought of as an attractive word. The word conjures up images of an individual on a ceaseless labor like a farmer in the rice field trudging along with their legs knee deep in mud.

Plodding can be discouraging sometimes especially when we are not seeing results right away. When our dreams do not quickly come into fruition, we consider giving them up quickly too. We want to just throw in the towel and say “enough is enough.” But many times, if we would just continue plodding on a little longer, we would definitely reach our destination.

I’ve read a story about a man who died in the desert. His bones were found over a sand dune. This man died in the middle of a scorching heat in the desert of Saudi Arabia. A note was found scribbled next to the pile of bones of this man. It said, “I’m done can’t go on…” Obviously, that man made a temporary shack and just sat down to die. Little did he know that on the other side of the dune, there was an oasis. He could have survived if he just kept on walking a few more feet. A little bit more of plodding and he might have been still a living man.

We need goals for our lives to be worth living. But most of the time we are impatient with reaching our goals. This impatience also means we are impatient with ourselves and even with God. Many people give up on the Christian life because they do not see swift progress. They are tempted to quit because they want to be like Christ overnight, but it seems to be taking forever. And forever, of course, is a long long time. They think they are a failure.

If we want to be true Christians, we must “plod like crazy”. Christian plodders must have patience. One good example is Joseph, the dreamer. This man has this awesome dreams that God has big plans for his life. But they are not happening because his brothers sell him into slavery. He might have been asking himself – “Where did my dreams go?”while he is doing lowly chores in that house. More so when he is falsely accused of adultery and is thrown into jail. Joseph was a prisoner/slave for 13 years of his life and none of that by his own fault. But was Joseph disheartened? Did he truly think that his dreams are over? The story of Joseph unfolds in the Bible and we all know what happened in the long run. He does not know God’s reason why these situations happened to him, he just decides to plod along by being the best that he can be for God. Then everything changed one day and Joseph went from living in a prison cell to living in the palace.

Joseph’s life is a great pattern for each of us to follow – to have unending patience and resilience. Just like Paul when he says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I’ve got grand dreams too, just like Joseph. I want to be a member of the heaven’s choir and to live and reign alongside Jesus in the new heaven and the new earth. And how am I supposed to do this? By patiently plodding 24/7, 365 days every year, till Jesus Christ’s second coming.

Now allow me to tell you about the greatest plodder – Jesus. If you want to be a genuine Christian, you’re following someone who refused to be discouraged. If you will read Isaiah 42 regarding the prophecy about Jesus, on verse 4 it was emphasized that “He will not fail nor be discouraged…”Jesus was betrayed and forsaken by His friends. He was crucified. Again in 1 Corinthians 2:2 Paul says, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

Jesus is coming back soon. Signs of the times are everywhere and the wait is nearly over. Let us all keep our eyes fixed on the Promised Land. Be a plodder. Keep on plodding little by little everyday in every way. Eventually God will give us victory. Here is the promise according to Timothy – “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2Timothy2:12). Now that is a reward. That is a promise and God’s promises are true. Since the beginning of time, God has kept His promises. But are you willing to wait on the Lord?