What Remains: R. Boyd Jr.

What Remains

Isaiah 40:8 (KJV):
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

When we think about the temporary life we lead, we are always trying to fill it with things that mean something to us, things that make life worth living, and things that make up for the emptiness we feel when there is nothing left but us and our stuff. Yet, in the quiet moments, we are confronted with a sobering truth: the things we cling to our possessions, our careers, our accomplishments, even our own strength are like grass that withers and flowers that fade. They may bring temporary comfort, but they cannot endure.

I feel this deeply, especially in light of the times we are living through. We have endured years of division, pain, and the bitter sting of political and moral upheaval. The four years of the former Trump administration left deep scars on our national conscience, marked by authoritarian tendencies and a disregard for the principles of justice that underpin our nation. These years exposed how fragile our democracy can be when power is wielded without humility or accountability.

Now, the current administration is showing signs that it, too, is willing to sideline the Constitution and the well-being of the many in favor of pursuing its own agenda. This disregard for foundational truths and the common good deepens the desolation and anguish felt by many who long for justice and righteousness to prevail.

Yet even amid this turmoil, I grieve but also remember: these powers rise and fall like grass in the scorching sun. Their influence, no matter how loud or forceful, is temporary.

Langston Hughes once wrote, “I tire so of hearing people say, let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.” His words ring true these days, justice deferred is justice denied, and the moral drift of a nation cannot be met with passive acceptance. And yet, even as I lament, I must remember this, too, will fade. The powers of this world rise and fall, their influence as fragile as grass in the scorching sun.

What truly remains is not found in political systems, cultural trends, or personal gain. What remains is God Himself, unchanging, unshakable, and the work we do in obedience to Him. As Isaiah reminds us, “the word of our God shall stand for ever.” His promises, His truth, and His purposes endure untouched by the passing of years or the rise of empires.

The Apostle Paul affirms this in 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV):
"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."

Paul’s exhortation is a call to live for what is eternal. While everything around us wears out, the work we do for Christ, acts of service, words of truth, seeds of the gospel are not in vain. They remain because they are anchored in the eternal Word of God.

Yet here is the struggle: we seldom root ourselves in what really matters. Too often, we place Christ on the back burner, only reaching for Him in seasons of oppression, crisis, or pain. We treat the Eternal as though He is optional, until life reminds us how fragile and temporary everything else is.

I have wrestled with this truth. I have mourned the loss of people and things I once thought I could not live without. I have watched the temporary crumble, both in the political sphere and in my own personal life. But I have also learned this: when all else fades, when the noise of the world dies down, when the flowers fall and the grass turns to dust, Christ remains.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” That bend is not inevitable without our labor, and that labor is not in vain when it is grounded in God’s truth. The Word of God assures us that even when we do not see immediate change, the seeds we plant in righteousness will remain because they are rooted in the eternal.

And because He remains, the work we do for His Kingdom remains. A kind word spoken in His name, a prayer offered in faith, a sacrifice made for His glory, these are the treasures that moth and rust cannot destroy, the investments that will outlast time itself.

So I choose to anchor my hope, my purpose, and my labor in what will endure. Not in the fleeting promises of leaders or the fragile security of wealth, but in the unshakable Word of God and the eternal reign of Jesus Christ.

In the end, what remains is this: God, Christ, and the work we have done for His Kingdom. All else, no matter how beautiful, powerful, or treasured fades away.

— Shared by Rev. Dr. Reginald Boyd, Jr.