I am concerned by the subtle shift I see in our Culture. The shift of not wanting to work hard. The notion that hard work is something that we should work hard to work away from. And even more disconcerting to me is that it is spilling over into our walks as Christ Followers.
We live in a day where we want to get to a place where we don't have to work so hard anymore in our jobs, finances, marriages, families and lives so that we can finally just go into cruise control. I realize that is a very simple explanation to a bigger issue but its true. Today we have a culture that somehow believes the lie that hard work is only for those belonging to the lower class. Somehow the notion of manual labor or physical exertion should be something to work away from. And this philosophy morphs into all areas of our lives. especially the Local Church. Yet...
More than ever in my walk with God I am seeing more followers of Christ talk more about being than doing. I know that God loves us the same regardless if we do more or do less. I know that nothing we will ever accomplish will change his love for us. I know that sitting in his presence is where I get refreshed and renewed. I know that we don't need to earn our salvation. I know what legalism is. I know that God loves us for who we are and not for what we do. I know all of those things. Yet...
The more I read his Word and look closely at what happens when we truly live out our faith it drips with the sweat of Work. Passages in the Bible tell us to Work out our salvation with fear and trembling; remind us to be doers of the word and not hearers only, asking for workers for the harvest, telling Adam to work the ground, to work as though you are working for the LORD, telling us to labor and strive in our faith, to be busy about the Father's business, running the race and much more. The concept and picture of Working and Doing is everywhere. Yet...
Have we swung to the other end of spectrum and become more influenced by our culture than the Words of the LORD? And have we become a group of Christians that would rather sit and soak only instead working hard for the LORD? I am not only concerned by the younger generation but my very own age group as I watch them move closer to retirement. That's another blog subject. They seem to be moving towards comfort and safety and places that aren't challenging them to do the Work of an Evangelist etc. Yet...
God has a high calling on our lives and way too much is at stake for us not work hard for the LORD. I am saddened by this shift because the closer I get to Jesus the More I am compelled to labor and strive and DO more for him because of all that he has done for me! Yet...
We will stand before Jesus one day at the Bema Seat and he will reward us for the way we have worked out our faith and in turn place those crowns at his feet as a way of saying LORD we loved you this much! May I never be the man who does not daily work out his salvation with fear and trembling and enjoy the Work of the LORD and work for the LORD!
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