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| This sign belongs to a church along the highway not far from my home. I had been seeking the Lord about whether He wanted me to go back to work or do His work. Then my husband and I drove by and I saw this sign. |
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Phil. 2:12-16 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
The Apostle Paul said that there are diversities of spiritual gifts and differences of ministries and diversities of activities but it is the same Spirit that manifests all of them in all of us to profit everyone. He admonishes the Philippian church to be respectful and hospitable to one another without grumbling or complaining... while being sober-minded and not high-minded.
Some came to Jesus and asked Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He sent." God is working "in" us both the will and the ability to do His good pleasure, now it is our duty to work it outward. "Being confident of this very thing," Paul said, "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
What ever our spiritual gifts are, we should do our best to discharge our duty with true humility, reverential fear and a God-consciousness that will make us stand out as blameless and harmless in such a crooked and perverse generation; holding strongly to the word that brought us life in the first place.
Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." There is nothing so honorable as doing God's work and to be His chosen vessel to perform this work. He said, "You did not choose Me, but it was I that chose you and appointed you to go out and bear fruit."
I said to the Lord once that I thought He had chosen an unworthy vessel to do this work. I admonished Him to select one of my more devout family members that are more honorable than I. He gently rebuked me saying, "What I have cleaned up, you must not call common."
He then showed me His divine providence that had been at work from my youth up to bring me into His will for my life - and caused me to see that none of this was accidental or happen stance. Our gifts and callings, even if similar in nature to some one else's, will never be exactly alike. There are diversities of activities and operations that make us uniquely our own. No one else can do what you do, like you do it.
Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are very necessary. Thank you for your contribution to the body of Christ. When you have proven yourself faithful over a few, God said He will make you a ruler over many.
Go in peace.