His Love and Our Work

If you are laboring in the work of the Lord today, I want to encourage you to keep going. The love of God has drawn us to Himself, saved us through faith in Jesus, and He has equipped us for every good work for the benefit of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12) and for His glory! Amen?! Once the Lord reveales this good work in us, it seems like the work automatically lines up to our natural inclination, after all, isn’t it God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)?  This work may come naturally to us, or we may become proficient in it, because it is the Lord who has gifted us and placed us specifically in the body, as it pleased Him (1 Corinthians 12:18). He establishes, provides, protects, and guides all that we need so that we grow in this work. That is the manner of love and care God bestows on us, so as children of God, our faith grows exponentially, our love for Him grows incrementally, and we do the work we are called to do based on our love for Jesus and wanting to be well pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:9).

Those of us who are saved and love the Lord have been equipped for this good work and we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” That should bring a smile to our faces, because our Lord knew the labor, this work, would sometimes be hard and we would need encouragement to dig our heels in even more. What is of even greater consolation is that God says He is not unjust to forget. Ohhhh, sometimes man will forget your good work, ooooo, but for those of us in Christ, we were not doing this work for man’s approval anyway. Man will not be at the Bema Seat to give his ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ when Jesus judges all we have done in the body, whether good or bad. There will only be an audience of two, Jesus and you!  God lovingly reminds us that he is not unfair, unreasonable to forget our work (the work He has called us to do) and our labor of love. This love is the AGAPE love; the affection, benevolence, charity we have for each other. It is this AGAPE that allows you to minister your good works, your God appointed works to the needs of the saints. God won’t forget it, He simply will not forget it, because He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19)!!! Church family, that’s another “God Promise” you can keep. He won’t forget your work and labor of love you have shown towards His name because you have ministered to each other and do continue to minister.  So let all you do be done out of love and glory for Jesus, God, and one another. Your labor is not in vain, our heavenly Father and His only begotten Son, Jesus, will never forget it!!!

PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for saving us and translating us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. Thank You for the irrevocable gifts and callings on our lives. Oh, let us be burdened to operate our lives in the areas of giftedness that You have gifted us. Let us not be shy (another form of pride) about sharing it or stingy (another form of covetousness) about keeping it all to ourselves for one day we will have to give an account to You. May all we do be done because we love You, want to be well pleasing to you, and seek to glorify Your name. It is in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!!!
By Sis. Paula Smith