Devotional 061210

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. We are blessed with the visit of an out-of-town guest, who came to seek collaboration with our organization in mission fields. Through our sharing, it is amazing to see how God at work in different parts of the world, and how we can work together in expanding His Kingdom. There are many kingdom workers, quietly but diligently serve behind the scene in being light and salt of the world. Not many churches knew about their work, but they made tremendous impact in many people’s lives. Praise the Lord!!!

God-anointed, David entered the world of work. He worked as a shepherd before he was anointed, work that provided background and metaphor for so much of the Gospel. But now David’s work was clearly seen as God-assigned, God-defined. All David’s work now was king-work. I want to use the word king-work to represent all true work. I am using this word in order to call attention to the essential dignity of work as such, that our work is of a kind with God’s work. All real work, genuine work, is subsumed under king-work. I am using the word here to distinguish true work from false work, spurious work, “work” that destroys or deceives. Just because energy is employed for a purpose does not qualify an action as work.

Work derives from and represents the sovereign God who expresses his sovereignty as a worker: king-work. Sovereigns work to bring order out of chaos; guard and fight for the sanctity of things and people; deliver victims from injustice and misfortune and wretchedness; grant pardon to the condemned and damned; heal sickness; by their very presence bring dignity and honor to people and land. God’s sovereignty is not abstract—it is a working sovereignty and is expressed in work. All of our work is intended as an extension of and participation in that sovereignty.

“What do we do then to get in on God’s works?” Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works” (John 6:28-29).

Why do we always want to know early on in our acquaintance with someone what their work is? “What do you do?” is virtually always among the repertoire of getting-acquainted questions. And the reason is this: occupation, career, job can do two things—usually both at the same time: work can reveal something essential about us- express our values, articulate our morals, act out our convictions of what it means to be a human being, created in the image of God. Or work can conceal our real identity. It can be used as a front to advertise something that we want people to see in us or believe about us, by which in fact we have never bothered to become within ourselves. For most of us, the two vocational things are mixed: revealing/expressing, and concealing/diverting. As we get to know someone we want to know if their job is a role to hide in or behind, or if it is an honest expression of character. The Bible says, “The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work” (Proverbs 12:24).

Peterson’s mediation on work provides us a new horizon and deeper meaning about our career or job we do every day. We don’t just find work to occupy our time and put food on the table. We work because our Heavenly Father works. Jesus described His Father as a farmer who constantly work in His vineyard to prune the leaves and branches that do not bear fruits. He wants all His children to bear fruits while we are put on earth for a period of time, so that this world can be a better place and many will be rescued from the evil turmoil and injustice. Only when we realize our work is part of His work, will we find new meaning to work each day.

Enjoy your work in His love,
Lawrence