There seems to be a lot on my mind today, Father. Enable me to work through and to work past it, to communicate what You need to communicate. Amen.
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Part of my struggle today is the fact that when individuals of great spiritual stature step from life amongst us to life in Christ beyond the threshold of death, a void is left. Pending crossings have the same impact. Reading what people have shared regarding both of these individuals has got my mind rolling.
At my age, it makes me think – has my life been well spent? My sermon yesterday addressed the importance of investing not in just the here-and-now but in things of eternal value. Those things include my own spiritual well-being – taking in God’s word, spending time in heart-searching communication with Him, and taking the opportunity to join with other followers of Christ in worship and learning together. Yes, those are important…but it is of equal importance that I invest in the lives of others. This, of course, includes writing for my blog and preparing for public worship and teaching on Sundays with my congregations and any who happens to join us online. Not to mention, my daily interaction with family, friends, and co-workers.
I firmly believe that the enemy of our souls does everything he can to undermine us. Doubt is sown in our minds so that we question the worth of who we are and what we have done with the resources we have been given. Especially in the light of those who go before us.
We are all our own persons. We are who we are because of all the experiences and decisions we have made in our lives. Some have been good, and some have not been good. Some experiences and decisions have been outright bad. But they are all as they are. We cannot go back and change a single one of them. Yet, good and bad, we are the byproduct of our lives.
I stand alone. When I stand before God, I will answer only for myself. I won’t be compared with anyone else who has walked this earth. My gifts and talents and abilities will not be measured against those of another. The sins that are mine, if I have repented and sought forgiveness for them will not be held to my account, for Jesus has paid the price for them all.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul is writing about the division that had occurred over those who followed his teaching, those who followed Apollos’ teachings, and those who followed the teachings of Peter. In response he said,
5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. NLT (emphasis mine)
And then this is the passage that came to mind,
10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. NLT
In the eyes of God, we each are accountable for what we do, first of all with Him, and they for what we do with the gifts he has graciously given us. Will the materials with which you have built withstand the fire of judgment or will they perish, and you gain heaven by the skin of your teeth?
Lord Jesus, may we not be lackadaisical about our work in Your kingdom. May we see it for what it is – essential as eternal investments, not just for us but for those with whom we are responsible to share Your truth. Amen.
Sept 28th, 2020, Mon, 12:43 pm
