Always abounding in the work of the Lord
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV)
Our salvation is a gift, and so the Lord will not congratulate anyone of us for saving ourselves as He did the hard work Himself. However, there are aspects of our lives that He will congratulate some of us with the words “well done thou good and faithful servant”. Our rewards in heaven will not be the same. There are two key areas that will determine the kind of words you will hear from Jesus in heaven and obviously the reward you will receive: your personal Christian life with the fruit of love, righteousness living etc and your service in the things of God.
Paul told the Corinthians to be “always abounding in the world of the Lord”. To “abound” means to grow and increase. Remember, He was not speaking to ministers or pastors. He was speaking to every believer, including the ordained ministers. Doing the work of the Lord is not something you choose depending on whether you like your local church or pastor. It is what the Lord has commanded and is expecting.
There are two aspects of our work for God. The first is bringing in the lost. The second is encouraging, strengthening and edifying the body of Christ to establish His kingdom on the earth. What are you doing in these two areas? Be careful not to spend your life merely trying to make life better for yourself or your family. Think about the Lord’s work and what you are doing about it. Christ will ask you about what you have done for other believers or the souls you have won.
MEDITATE
What are the two parts of the work of the Lord described above? God gives us gifts to serve in specific areas. What is God using you to do?
APPLY THE WORD
You do not have to be a pastor or prophet to do the work of the Lord. Every single believer has been enrolled in God’s workforce as a child in the House doing the Father’s business. Jesus said “occupy till I come”. Use the gifts He has given you to further His work.
PRAY
Ask the Spirit to help you to engage in the work of the Lord with passion and zeal.
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