December 29, 2021

NOT IN VAIN

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Encouraging Words

Sometimes it feels like living a Christian life is not worth it. We often fail new people coming into the Christian faith by painting this rosy picture of how wonderful it is to be a Christian. It is wonderful! It is freedom of the utmost kind! But it is a difficult life. If we are truly trying to be like Christ, then we will continually be at odds with the world that we live in. We must abandon the ways of the world, separate ourselves from the worlds' political and socio-economic way of thinking, and live the life that God calls us to. We must leave behind our preferences and desires so that we can embrace our Lord. This might mean getting a vaccine or wearing a mask for loving our neighbor and taking care of them is more important than our own preferences. It might mean doing things differently than how we want to do it because the good of the many is more important than the good of one...me. It means putting others first because that is what Jesus did. Being a Christian is not doing what I want to do, slapping a WWJD sticker on it, and calling it blessed by Him. It means doing what He has asked me to do, doing it joyfully, and not seeking any reward at the end. This is what it means to be steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!