1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

What a GREAT verse!  In the Lord, our labor is not in vain.  Boy, did I need to hear that or what.  What a POWERFUL encouragement, especially when we feel our work is small and has little positive effect!  It is great to know that "in him," our labor is never in vain.

But, there is kind of a caveat to this.  We need to be steadfast, immovable and constantly abounding in His work.  

Now a lot of us will balk at the, "in the work of the Lord."  We will think that this verse applies only to those "professionals" who serve in some fulltime ministry.  As a great friend of mine would say, "That is a lie right out of the pit of hell!"  We have to get away from this incredibly narrow view of what is His work. 

A Christian mother and wife is engaged in His work as she cares for her family.  She does not have to ever leave the home to be in fulltime service.  Everything she does is, "in the Lord," and hence, it is His work.  As children obey and respect their parents they are engaged in His work.  As husbands and fathers labor to provide subsistence  for their families, they are engaged in His work.

Anything we do, "in the Lord," is His work and is NEVER in vain!

But we do have to be steadfast (keep on keeping on), immovable (bloom where you are planted) and abounding (what your hand finds to do, do)!

We also need to examine ourselves and our labor to be confident that we are doing it. "In Him."  Sure, you'll find a lot of messy mixed motives as you examine this but you look for the light not the shadows.  Whatever you find in the mix, if love for Christ is there, you are good to go.  You're gonna find a lot of your own stuff mixed in there.  Do not let it stop you or hinder you in any way.  He is in the business of refining us and all we do do. Don't sweat it, do it and do it for Him.

Now, notice I don't say do it perfectly.  You're not gonna.  Not gonna happen. You're gonna move forward in fits and starts, ups and downs, homeruns and foul balls.  But you gotta be doing it for Him to be refining it.  Sure, perfection is a great and worthy goal.  We aim at it, constantly secure in the knowledge that wherever we fall short, He covers the shortfall.

A great lesson concerning our labor is found here; 

1 Corinthians 3:6-7, 9 ESV

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

Oh, dear ones, if we would only carve that on our consciences!  We always tend to take on that which is not ours to fulfill!  None of our labors in Him can ever be in vain when the conclusion of the effort is in His hands!

WE ARE ALL God's fellow workers, right where He has us doing what He has given us to do.  Whatever a believer does should be considered fulltime service.  That includes both our labor and our leisure.   We are His fulltime, therefore what we do should be His fulltime!

Dear ones, stay steadfast.  Be immovable.  Abound in what He has given you to do.  AND relax and rejoice in the fact that He is the period on all the senteces our lives write.  NOTHING you do in Him is EVER in vain!

A Deeper View 012213b

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Mat 6:24)

"Money"  mammōnas:  Wealth personified; avarice

Ouch!

Most definitions of avarice say it's "extreme" - excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain : greediness.

But is that what Jesus is actually saying?  I don't think so.  I believe He's making a clear comparison between who/what we look to for our providence.  In the context of this, even the slightest "avarice" is extreme.

You don't have to be a greedy-wealth driven person to fit into what Jesus is talking about.  If I am looking to "money" as the answer to my problems and not to God, then I am double-mastered - actually I am serving Mammon.  

Paul writes:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.  (1Ti 6:10)

The author of Hebrews writes:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  (Heb 13:5)

I have to say I am learning what Paul means by, "pierced themselves with many pangs (sorrows)."  I'm getting pang pierced quite regularly.  

I am especially sorry for all the waste of His provision.  Oh boy - let's leave it at that.  But being "sorry" isn't the point.  Repentance is the point.  I have to turn away from that oh so common money thing to Him.  I have to embrace Him and His promise and accept His will for me.

There was an old saying in my pre-disciple days that we "hippies" used - I will leave that to your imagination but - in this case I'll say, "God will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no God."

Jesus presents us with a choice - and for some it's a big and deep choice.  We have to really examine ourselves (a good thing anytime) for what pieces of avarice/mammon are tucked away in our heads and hearts.  

I suggest - from experience (current experience) that we look for envy, dis-satisfaction, grumbling, fear, anger, etc and see it they are connected to mammon.  

Are we dis-satisfied with God's current provision?  Are we fearful of our future known and unknown needs?  Are we, like Israel in the OT when threatened by invasion, looking to make unwise alliances?  Are we, like they, seeking some thing other than God in our need?

It's common to us but it isn't best.  We all know that.  We all know that God is the loving and gracious Shepherd.  We all know that He gave His best to make us His and that this is the greatest provision we could ask for.  We all know these things - but sometimes He loves us enough to take us to a place where we see our sinful seeking in other places.  He does that to halt us in our tracks and bring us back to His way - the only true way.

Sometimes it feels like He is teaching me to be a little child.  I cried in Patti's arms the other night and prayed to Him for to comfort and strengthen us in His Way.  I felt like a weenie - but I realized I was learning to come to Him as a little child who is utterly dependent upon Him for EVERYTHING.

Just goes to show that we can know something - and yet have to KNOW it better - deeper - more childishly.

Let's examine ourselves and ask His Spirit to both guide us and comfort us as we look for those thin, weak places in our walk.  It's OK, He intendeds to fatten them up and build some muscle.  He is never done with us - which really is good news!

You, those of you who can identify and those of you who don't yet - are in our prayers and  we are vaguely but faithfully lifting you up.  Remember it's "OUR Father ------"