November 14, 2026
Whether you're involved in ministry or simply a faithful churchgoer, you've probably had the enemy sit on your shoulder more than once and whisper a few discouraging thoughts.
"You're not even making a difference."
"Nobody notices what you do anyway."
"You've already done more than your share."
"They don't appreciate you."
"You're wasting your time."
"You give and give, but what do you ever get in return?"
"You're not qualified to do that."
The list could go on and on. We've all been there.
Almost 40 years ago, David and I went to Taylor, Texas, to plant a church. We were so young! But we loved God, and we felt a calling to do something for His kingdom.
We started with home Bible studies, and eventually our little church plant grew to around 25 people. We were thrilled!
Our first meeting place was a rented daycare center that often smelled of Lysol and dirty diapers. Not exactly glamorous, but we were thankful to have a place to worship. Eventually, we moved into a little storefront building of our own. Oh, how excited we were to hang our church sign outside!
I can still remember arriving before service with my little one in tow, sweeping up those smelly crickets that had somehow found their way into the building. There were floors to clean, lessons to prepare, people to encourage, and services to get ready for.
And we gave it our very best.
But can I tell you something? I felt every one of those discouraging thoughts I mentioned earlier. Many times.
As I taught Sunday School to the few who came, and David preached his heart out to a less-than-glamorous-sized congregation, there were plenty of moments when we wondered if we were really making a difference.
And despite all our efforts, all our prayers, and all our hopes...
It didn't sustain.
The day we closed those doors and moved on was one of the hardest seasons of our ministry. We had poured so much of ourselves into that little church, and our hearts felt like failures.
Had we really accomplished anything? Had we made a difference at all?
Have you ever felt that way? Like you've given something your very best, only to walk away wondering if any of it really mattered?
Well, fast-forward nearly 40 years.
I'll spare you the many details of life and ministry between then and now. Let's just say there have been plenty of growing experiences along the way, and more than a few seasons when those same discouraging thoughts tried to creep back in.
But this past Sunday, something happened that I never could have imagined.
Church was about to begin at Calvary. People were buzzing around, greeting one another, and there was such a wonderful feeling in the building.
A guest approached my husband and asked, "Are you David Caruthers?"
“Yes!" he replied. "It's so good to have you today!"
She smiled and introduced herself.
"I'm Christina. From your Bible study group in Taylor, Texas."
Taylor, Texas! Nearly 40 years ago!
Of course, none of us looked quite the same. The years had left their marks on our faces, and life had certainly taken us through some things. But here we were, all these years later, still standing, still loving God, and still walking with Him.
What a moment!
Christina shared that when her mother passed away, they had looked for David to conduct her funeral, but we were already gone.
And there she stood, four decades later, still living for God and even bringing a friend with her to church!
I can't begin to tell you what that meant to us.
I wonder how many times over the years we've thought about that little church in Taylor and questioned whether anything we did there really mattered.
We certainly didn't see the results we had hoped for. We didn't leave behind a thriving congregation or a beautiful church building. As far as we could tell, that chapter of our ministry had simply come to an end.
But Sunday morning, standing in the front of our beautiful church—a church we had once again poured our hearts into, watching God grow it from a tiny congregation of just 11 people—I was reminded of something.
Just because we didn't see the fruit doesn't mean the seed didn't grow.
All those Bible studies. All those Sunday School lessons. All those sermons preached to a handful of people. All those sacrifices that, at the time, seemed to produce so little.
They weren't wasted.
Nearly 40 years later, here stood a woman who had been part of that little Bible study group, still living for God!
I don't know everything God has done in Christina's life over these past four decades, and I certainly wouldn't take credit for her faithfulness to Him. But what a beautiful reminder that we don't always get to see what God is doing with the seeds we plant.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6:
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
Sometimes we're called to plant. Sometimes we're called to water. And sometimes we may never see the increase this side of heaven. But that doesn't mean our labor was in vain.
Maybe today you're weary. Maybe you've been giving your best to your family, your church, your ministry, or someone who doesn't seem to appreciate a thing you do.
Maybe you've been faithful in the little things, showing up, serving, praying, teaching, encouraging, and wondering if anyone even notices.
Or perhaps you've already walked away from something that didn't turn out the way you had hoped. You gave it everything you had, and from where you stood, it looked like failure.
And every now and then, you still hear that familiar voice that seems to echo in the chambers of your heart: "You're not even making a difference."
Can I encourage you today?
Keep planting. Keep watering. Keep giving your best.
Don't measure the value of your faithfulness by the results you can see today.
God never asked us to produce the increase.
He asked us to be faithful with what He placed in our hands.
And somewhere, in ways you may never know, God may still be growing something from a seed you planted years ago.
Who knows? Maybe one day, nearly 40 years later, God will allow you a little glimpse of what He's been doing all along.
And even if He doesn't, His Word gives us this beautiful assurance:
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
So the next time the enemy whispers, "You're not even making a difference," remind yourself of this truth:
You may not see the difference you're making.
But that doesn't mean you're not making one.
And sometimes, the seeds we thought had been forgotten are still growing long after we've moved on.
From my heart - with love,
Gena.
