Verse of the day: Romans 12:11 not slothful in business, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;
As we
continue our study, we see that the Apostle also addresses the issue of
diligence, fervency and service to the Lord. Let me ask this question; if
someone were to ask our co-workers, employer, or business associates what they
thought of us as a co-worker, employee, or someone to do business with, what
would be the overall consensus? Would our co-workers complain that they always
have to pick up the slack for us because we are negligent in carrying out our
duties? Would our employer complain that we are always tardy and leave too
early, take too much time off or have to constantly be told to complete a
project? Would they miss us if we left or would they be happy to get rid of us
because we are too much of a burden on our employer or company? Would those we
do business with see us as someone who is a person of their word who fulfills
what they say they will do, and work hard to meet deadlines? Are we the type of
employee that uses company time to accomplish more of our personal tasks than
actually doing work we are being paid to do? Do we value the time we have as
employees or employers? Too many of us compartmentalize our lives and live as
if God is only interested in certain parts of our lives and we are solely
responsible, and accountable to ourselves, for other parts. However, God calls
us to glorify Him even in what some call “secular” work. The truth of the
matter is that whether we are at a “secular” job or serving within the church,
we are serving God. Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us that “whatever your hands find
to do, do it with your might”. In other words, with a fervent spirit; as we are
supposed to carry out our duties with zeal. That means that we must be willing
to go the extra mile, if necessary, to get the job done. We should be known as
those that are willing to do whatever is required, even if no one else will
step up to do it. Too often, especially today, I hear many people complaining about
tasks they are supposed to do, and are being paid to do; and sadly, some of those
people loudly and proudly proclaim that they are Christians. This ought not to
be so. We are to have zeal in our hearts and minds, and be known as someone who
diligently labors and is not lazy and whiny. As born again believers we need to
constantly remind ourselves that wherever the Lord places us in this world, we
are to represent Him with honor. In this we are serving Him. Think about how
much time we spend at work. It is at least forty hours of our week. In those
forty or so hours we are interacting with many unsaved people; people we are
called to share Jesus with. How we serve the Lord at our jobs will make or
break our ability to do what God has called us to do; to carry out His will,
which is to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15). Regardless of
whether or not we like being in our current employment situation, it is where
God has us, and where He expects us to be faithful in serving Him. We are to
glorify God in everything that we do (1 Cor 10:31). We are to serve those in
authority over us as to Christ (Eph 6:5). Whatever we are doing, we are to do
it in the Name of Jesus, giving thanks to God our Father (Col 3:17). We are to
carry out our responsibilities in the fear of God, knowing that we are actually
serving Him and not men, and confident that our faithful service is ultimately
rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 3:22-24). To further illustrate what I
am saying, let me just list a few men who served God while serving in a “secular”
capacity; Joseph, Moses, King David, and Daniel (just to name a few). These men
served the people, but it was their relationship with God and their service to
Him while they served the people that made them great men of God. The bottom
line is that we cannot, and should not, separate our “secular” life from our
spiritual life, as there is really no difference. We serve God whether we are
serving amongst God’s people, inside the walls of the church building or
whether we are at work, gathering at a social event, or any other aspect of our
lives. We are to always be mindful of God’s glory and how that is reflected in
our diligence, our work ethic, and the fervency in which we serve Him and others.
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