Doing the Work of God

 Numbers 3:8
They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.

All work done to build the kingdom of God is with purpose and is not done in vain. We are all workers together to see the work of God’s tabernacle (His church) be a lighthouse to point others to Jesus. All who are in Christ make up this holy tabernacle, the church of the living God. The church is fitly put together, each of us having a task to do. Paul writes about the importance of each task. “If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” You may feel insignificant, and the work you do is not important, but all things done for Christ are noticed by God. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”(1 Corinth 10:31). What God wants are people who are willing to do the task given to them with thanksgiving. Human nature desires approbation and appreciation for work that is accomplished, but what is important is that we receive the approbation of God, His approval with our life and the work we do for Him. Others may never call your name, or print out your charitable work in the church newsletter, but God sees what you do, and in eternity, that is all that matters. 

Give it your Best

 Col. 3:23
Whatever you do, do it  heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 

We find similar admonition in the book of Ecclesiastes 9:10 from Solomon. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” The daily task of the day may not seem significant in light of a life-span or eternity, but our time on earth is given to us by God, and we are to be stewards of this time. “Whatever” is all inclusive, it means in everything we do we need to give it our best. This is the motto I have used to inspire my students over the years I taught. I did not expect my students to be perfect, or even always get the right answer, but I did expect them to give it their best effort. God has given most of us hands to work, and a job to do. Sometimes others may not appreciate the work we do and the effort we give. It may even go unnoticed by those around us, but the work we do is for the kingdom and for Christ. We may ask, “Why should I care, no one else seems to care.” But God sees our hearts and our desire to serve Him. We all desire the approbation of others and as human beings the need to be appreciated and needed. This is not wrong, but our ultimate motivation is to honor God and to do our best to please Him. Whatever lot God has given you, do it to the best of your ability and do it to glorify the Father in heaven.

Our Vocation

 Eph. 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Not everyone that is a believer is called into full time ministry. Someone needs to pay the bills and support the work of the kingdom. As part of the body of Christ, we all have a part and function within the body.  Beyond the work that God has called us to in the church, He also has given us a vocation, work that will not only support the livelihood of one’s family, but support the church and other ministries around the world that are spreading the Gospel. God has given each of us a talent, an ability to learn and acquire specific skills to work. All work is honorable if the work is honest and does not violate the scripture. We are to always give 100% of our efforts to the job that is given to us. Whether it is rolling out pizza dough, or doing heart surgery, we glorify God in what we do. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” words given to us by Solomon. We are ambassadors for Christ, let our vocation and work ethic reflect the life of Christ.

He Will Meet Our Needs

Matt. 6:32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

Eating, drinking, and shelter are natural instincts of human nature. Yet, Jesus says, not to worry about such things. I believe there is a deeper truth here than what is implied. Our spiritual needs should supersede our temporal needs. This body will die and pass away, but the spirit of this body will live for eternity. It is a step of faith to believe what you cannot see. Eternal life is beyond understanding. We live each day for food and shelter. We work each day to provide for the needs of the flesh and its comforts. We worry how we are going to make ends meet. There is a responsibility on our part to work. God has given us strength, talents, and a brain to accomplish many things, but our love and affections should be to first seek the Kingdom of God. We must do our best, and trust God to do the rest. At the end of our resources, He give us what we need when we need it. 

We Can Do Nothing

John 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself…

Helpless we are without the help of God. Jesus, the God-man relied on the help of his Father to achieve the work He was sent to do. It was not the will of the God man, but the will of the Father that Jesus sought. How much more, human flesh do we need to trust God to be the one to do the work that needs to be done. We are but His instruments doing His will to build the Kingdom of God. Without Him, our efforts are futile, and worthless. The commission is to go into all the world, but He promise that He would send the Comforter to enable us to carry out His work. We our vessels in the hand of God to do with as He pleased. Makes us, molds us, and uses us for His glory. 

Rise and Build

Neh. 2:18 …Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

Sometime things just fall apart with no fault of anyone particular. Sometimes the damage is done because Satan has worked his way in and has destroyed by causing strife and division. All the reasons why things sometime fall apart is not reason to just sit and do nothing. We cannot do anything to change the past, but we can rise up with the help of God and change the future. Looking back on the “Way it use to be” does not get us anywhere. Remember the past can help us only to stir us for a better future. Seeing the church discouraged because many have left for various reasons just means we need to rise up and build again. For this a good work. Working to build the kingdom is what God has called us to do. This is no time to put the saw and hammer down. God has a plan for us. Let us stay in prayer and build for Jesus sake. 

Labor Not In Vain

1 Corinth 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

When things get tough and the everything in life seems to be against you, hold on! Don’t quit doing what is right. It may seem that our work is in vain. Time in prayer and trying to build the Kingdom with little results can be discouraging and dishearten. We are tempted to just give up and close the church doors. Our labor to build the kingdom seems to be all in vain. Like Paul, we live in a society that is corrupted and immoral. Sin abounds at every street corner, people are not willing to give up their sin to live for God. People would rather spend the day of worship with recreation or personal pleasure. There seems to be no time for God. This is not the time to run and give way to the devil. Let us be steadfast, unmovable in our convictions that Christ is the answer for the ills of this world. Our work for the Lord is not finished. Let us occupy till He comes.

God Has Called Us

Ephesians 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”

Everyone has a calling, everyone has a job to do. God has given us each talents or desires to be something for God. Jesus admonition us to occupy till He returns, keep busy working for the Kingdom. Go forth into the world and live the life that God has called us to. We all are called to live for God and to let our light shine in a world that is darken with sin. We are not called to live as the world, but to live in this world the life of holiness. (1 thess 4:7) The job we have or the work we do may take on various facets. Some are called to minister the Word and some are called to serve the needs of people, others are called to build shelter, or educate the masses. There are many vocations that God may call us to, and He wants us to fulfill our calling to the glory of God. Do them as unto the Lord, and not unto man. What ever God has put into your hand, do it with all your might. (Ecc. 9:10). Let us live worthy of the work that God has called us to do.

Doing Service

Eph. 6:7 “with good will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men,”- 

We all go through life doing the same thing day by day. Most of us get up and prepare for a day of work. We leave our home to fulfill a day of service. We labor to put food on the table and a roof over our head. We go many days doing the same thing over and over again. Most of our life is doing mundane routine things. We may wonder how we are fulfilling the will or call of God. To serve God is not just found in ministry, serving God is done in everything we do. Yes, we go about are daily duties to provide for our daily needs and wants, but God desires us to serve with a glad heart and do all things as servants of God. We may live on earth working for a company or have a supervisor that is difficult to work for, but we must stay focus on who we really serve. Our labor is not in vain, God will use us and our testimony in whatever capacity we find ourselves in. Life is never boring, if we purpose to do all things to please Him.

The Call of God

Ex 31:2,3 “I have called by name Bezaleel...and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship”-

The calling of God to work in His kingdom is not limited to just preachers, teachers, and missionaries. The work of God requires laborers that will use their skills to help build the kingdom of God. We are laborer together in the body of Christ to build His church. He has called some to used their skills to swing a hammer, connect wires, install the plumbing, set up the sound system, shingle the roof, paint the walls, pour the concrete, lay the carpet, and use their creativity to decorate the house of God. God has given each one of us a talent or skills that He can use to bring Him glory. “In whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31) We all are part of the puzzle that will help make it happen, and each one is important to the unity in Christ and to the advancement of the kingdom of God. God calls each one us to serve Him, and He will empower us with His Spirit and knowledge to accomplish the task. It is our responsibility to answer the call and be willing to use our skills to bring glory to Him.