The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Shovel and the Pen"
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle… by whom we have received grace and apostleship" (Romans 1:1; 5).
Because God called Paul to such an overtly spiritual mission, we fully understand his need for grace and the importance of his apostleship. However, do we perceive ourselves in the same light of grace and significance regarding our callings?
"Without Me, ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).
"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" (Colossians 3:23).
As we trust and submit to God's will for our lives, we labor in the particular vineyard to which our Lord calls us. This means we require His leading and enabling to fulfill our privileged responsibilities, be they in the workplace, the home, the church, or wherever. This also calls us to view "whatsoever" we do as vital in God's purposes. Indeed, our Heavenly Father does not delineate the spiritual from the natural when it comes to His will for our lives. "Unto the pure, all things are pure" (Titus 1:15). The ditch dug by a workman ascends as high as an apostle's loftiest treatise if done for God's glory, in accordance with God's will. Our Lord so pervasively involves Himself in "all things" that we will one day find His grace blessed the shovel no less than the pen (Ephesians 1:11).
We have all encountered people who so uncommonly performed seemingly common labors that we marveled at their attitude, demeanor, and work habits. Consider the Lord Jesus Himself. Do we suppose He preached the sermon on the mount with more devotion than He exhibited when helping Joseph in his carpentry, or Mary in her household labors? Not likely. The same Christ who now dwells and walks in us will motivate us to do what we do "heartily" as we trust and submit to Him. Be it looking up from a ditch dug, or outward from a pulpit, the Holy Spirit will lead us to do what we do "as unto the Lord." God's grace must enable both, and will illuminate both with His blessing as we fulfill our calling by His grace and for His glory.
One day, we will look back on a lifetime wherein opportunities abounded for doing what we did "heartily" and "to the glory of God." Hopefully, we will recall having consistently and increasingly acted in light of the truth. Yes, the enabling grace of God makes possible the infusion of eternal purpose into everything we do. In that day, the wielder of the pen who realized his Lord's calling and the grace that empowered its fulfillment will rejoice in this. As will no less the handler of the shovel who realized the same.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
(I Corinthians 15:10)
"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ. Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord."
(Ephesians 6:5-8)
Weekly Memory Verse
Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.
(Ephesians 5:2)
6404
6397
No comments:
Post a Comment