1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah (Psalm 46:1-3)
A couple of year ago I was standing on my driveway talking to a family friend. I was leaning on her vehicle, when I felt the car move, though no one was in the driver’s seat. My heart was racing. I looked over at the friend who was also standing. There had been an earthquake. I’ve lived in California for decades and therefore have experienced my fair share of earthquakes. But, no matter how many times I’ve felt the ground move, nothing can quite prepare you for it. I am glad that I have not had to deal with tornadoes. Those were bad, but at least you have warnings. At least sirens that tell people to race to their basements and grab their battery-powered radios. Sometimes the changes in our worlds feel like a tornado—big or scary, but not without warning. Other times, the changes in our worlds are more like an earthquake. They just happen. The ground just shifts beneath us and there we are, heart pounding, wondering what in the world just happened. If it feels to you like this past 18 months has been full of earthquakes, you are not alone. Set to the backdrop of Covid-19, racial uprisings, and an election year here in America, tens of millions of people have lost their jobs. Businesses have had to shutter and close. Parents have had to simultaneously work from home while facilitating online learning for their kids. So many of us have had to change the very basic parts of how we work – not to mention how we gather with friends, shop for groceries, or what we do with our free time. Psalm 46 is a Psalm for our times. It helps us know deep down that while we can never quite prepare for an earthquake, we should expect that earthquakes are indeed coming. The ground will shift beneath us. We will have days where everything feels like it changed. But it also helps us know that God is a very present help in trouble. A very present help. God is helpful in that in the Lord we find both refuge from the quaking earth and strength to face whatever changes are taking place. And in this, we have the invitation not to fear. In the same way, when we rush to our kids in the middle of the night because of an earthquake, God rushes to us when the earth moves in our world. So, remember this today: just when you feel your heart racing, just when you feel disoriented by all the change in our world and in your life and work, God is near. God is with you. Gracious God, thank You that You are an ever-present help in times of trouble. Help us to trust You even when change feels so intense that it feels like the ground is shaking beneath our feet. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people. (Colossians 1:3-4)
In the beginning of his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul offers thanks to God for those who will receive his letter. The believers in Colossae did not know Paul personally (Col. 2:1). Yet, they were the product of the work of his team – especially through Epaphras, a co-worker of Paul from Colossae. Epaphras, whom Paul identifies as “our beloved fellow servant,” was the one who first shared with his fellow Colossians “the grace of God” (Col. 1:6-7). So, though Paul was not the person who planted the church in Colossae, this church existed because of Paul’s influence and leadership. Thus, Paul is especially grateful for the flourishing of the Colossian church (Col. 1:3-4). In his letters to churches he founded, Paul offers thanks for them. For instance, in 1 Thess. 1:2-5, he says, “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.” In this opening section, Paul points to his own labors. But he frames his efforts with thanks to God. He acknowledges that the flourishing of the Thessalonian congregation is truly God’s work, though Paul’s own contribution mattered. Paul’s example of thanksgiving for his work encourages us to be similarly thankful. No matter the work we do, as long as it is consistent with biblical teaching, it contributes to God’s work in the world. It is something you can do for God’s purposes and glory. It is something in which we can take pride, to an extent. We must also acknowledge that even the good work we do with considerable effort is a reflection of God’s grace. If we work with our hands, we’re using the hands God gave us. If we work primarily with our mind, then we’re using the brain God gave us. If we are able to work because of the labors of others, then we can be grateful for all that makes our work possible. Beyond this, we can be thankful for the life, health, strength, and talents that enable us to work. Paul understands the tension between taking pride in his own hard work and acknowledging God’s superintending grace. In 1 Cor. 15:10, he talks about his work in this way: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” I love that Paul is so honest and we can so relate to him. Paul begins by acknowledging that his work is a result of God’s grace. But then he boasts about working harder than all the other apostles. Yet, after this, he circles back to recognizing that even his hard work was not his own doing, but was God’s grace at work through him. So, let me encourage you to thank God for your work today. Think about the different ways God’s grace enables you to do the work you do. Even if you’re having a hard time at work, you can surely come up with many ways God has blessed and is blessing you. Without denying the problems, tell God thanks for all the ways you experience His grace through your work. Gracious God, thank You for the work I do, and for Your grace that makes this possible. Thank You, Lord, for the chance to contribute in some small way to Your work in the world through what I do each day. 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.
(1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, NIV) Delano had the pleasure of wrestling when he was young for both local and state representatives for nationals. He had snuck in early to find out that there were just a couple of people carefully preparing everything. He recalls finding the mats already out, cleaned and taped. Water stands were close by to ensure wrestlers would have no attempts to stall at getting back to practice. There was no banner for their names, no Spirit Day in their honor but they would carry out their work anticipating what they could without hesitation. In our society, success is often determined by the absence of flaws, the quantity of results, the position or titles associated with doing it, and how loud or sensational it is. But the Gospel teaches us that often the opposite is also effective. Moses, the Israelites walking into the Promised Land, Esther’s advocating for the nation, the birth of Jesus, and even the resurrection are all moments of silence and sometimes obscurity. The Thessalonians demonstrate the same thing. They have received the Gospel in oppression and instead of creating a big uproar, their quiet but shrewd approach to work proves to be just as effective. The silence of their work is not passive work; they did not live above the fray but stayed incarnate. They worked because of their trust, toiled by their love, and endured because of their objective hope (1 Thes. 1:3). Their normal ordinary work for their neighbor enabled them to support fellow believers on Sunday and Monday. Their hope reminded them that the Gospel pushed them to endure with unbelievers. They did this without accolades, media posts, marketing campaigns, or analytics. Their ordinary good work was in the midst of their imperfections, inability to get family right, personal struggles, propensity to weep without hope, and bearing under literal persecution. And what was the result? Not obscurity or accolades but a silence that resonates with Gospel truth. The Holy Spirit ensures that our ordinary work will no longer be bifurcated but rather He will let the message of freedom ring through us (1 Thes. 1:6). Silent labor is not unimportant, unvalued nor unrecognized work. God already knows what He will do with us but there might be something to learn when we are convinced of other’s salvation as much as they know it for themselves (1 Thes. 1:4). Perhaps our certainty concerning others and their ordinary work will make us come a little early, or look a bit wider at how their part actually rings out to the whole region. The Thessalonians learned that their labor may be obscure – not the exciting parts of what is perceived as being “ministry” – but work was so profound that even Paul – the one sent to tell others of the faith – said that he does “not need to say anything about it” (1 Thes. 1:8-10). Gracious God, make me more dependent on the Holy Spirit to look past the fanfare to even the obscurity in order to find an omnipresent God reminding me in silence “I am with you.” “Go, because I have chosen you (him) to serve me, to declare my name before the people of the world” (Acts 9:15)
Someone once said, “Radical obedience to Christ is not easy – it’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is more than enough for us.” At this juncture of time, let us pause and evaluate our own lives. Do we possess the distinct characteristics of a “real Christian” as described in the early church? Can people tell by our words and actions that we are followers of the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Do our lives make it desirable for others to want to believe in and follow Christ? Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel..” As a church, we want to respond in obedience and creatively in a changing world. We want to be a church that blesses the nations by being instruments of God’s love, joy, and peace. We want to be a community that prepares our young people for significant careers and exemplary service for the cause of Christ. We must be a church that stands up for our convictions in this current age where the relentless attacks on foundational biblical principles are ever so rampant. This is what God desires for our church. He even gave us the Holy Spirit to fulfill this worldwide commission (Acts 1:8). We recognize that God calls different people to do different things, according to our spiritual gifts, to fulfill His own plan and purpose for us. So what are you doing to align your hearts with God’s for the evangelism of the world? Prayer is the first step in being mission-minded. At the very least, we should be praying for the world to hear the gospel. The heart of God is displayed in the sending of His Son to save the world through faith in Him (John 3:16). The heart of God is for the lost to be saved. There are “lost” people all around us ……..in our families, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, in our communities, in our cities, in our countries, and our world. God says beautiful are the feet who bring good news. (Romans 10:15) Jesus also calls us to “BE witnesses”, and not just “TO witness.” We are to live the gospel in society AND to take the gospel to the unreached world. Let us let kindness, compassion, and love be the trademarks of our lives. By so doing, you will find that doors will open for us to introduce strangers to God. Dear brothers and sisters, how is God calling you to take part in His kingdom work? We acknowledge that as His disciples, we are called to take His message of salvation to the world while at the same time making our lives a shining testimony of the power and truth of the gospel. Whatever He calls you to do, will you, like Isaiah, say, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) |
Archives
March 2024
Categories |