It is hard to gain a sense that what you or I do in the work of God really matters–that we could actually make a real and profound difference. It is easier to look to the righteous men and women who have their heroic lives recorded in the pages of the Bible. However, their examples should serve to inspire us. We have all been called to be those kind of people!
Consider that we are the people who have been chosen by God to be examples in this time–without doubt, a time in which, by all measure, some of the most startling and truly awesome events in the great master plan of God will unfold — events which are indeed unfolding — right now — on a daily basis.
Are we up to the job?
A starting point is to know what this calling means to both ourselves and to God. God has left very careful instructions for what it is that we should be doing. The instructions are all clearly outlined in His Word, and He is revealing more to us as He opens our understanding of the Bible–especially in light of the prophetic events now emerging in fulfillment.
For each of us, our calling takes on a meaning that transcends simply knowing the truth and being “in” the Church. God has given each of us responsibilities. We all have to participate in order to fulfill the job God has given to His end-time Church. We have been placed in the body (Church) by God. 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” The verses that follow delineate administrative jobs in the Church. Every member is important — otherwise, God would not have placed the member into Christ’s body. And, every member has a job to do. 1 Corinthians 13 immediately follows revealing the character of Jesus Christ, “…faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest is love.” (verse 13).
Jesus described the greatest kind of love: “‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ ” (John 15:13). Jesus did what ONLY He could do for all of mankind–it was His job.
When we read, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), can we apply it to ourselves–in the Church of God in the here and now? Certainly, this was the approach of our Savior, and we have other examples. For instance, the example of the woman who anointed Jesus. We read in Mark 14:8, ” ‘She has done what she could.’ ” Then, in verse 9, note the wonderful promise given by Jesus: ” ‘Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.’ ” And one more example is that of the widow who placed “two mites” in the treasury of the Temple. In Luke 21:3-4, “So He said, ‘truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ‘for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’ ” This widow did all she could to please God.
These examples are faith, hope and love in action. It is the approach we all need right now!
We must never neglect the great importance of prayer and fasting in this regard. Through prayer and fasting, we draw closer to God, and God will reveal to us what He wants us to do, if we really want to know. Notice Luke 2:36-38: “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Israel.”
Anna did all she could do, and in fulfilling her job, God granted her the great joy and fulfillment of seeing Jesus, before she died, and identifying Him to others.
A very important lesson was left for us in the healing of Naaman’s leprosy. Elisha would not even come out of his door but sent a messenger to Naaman. Naaman became furious, because he was looking for some great sign from Elisha and Elisha’s God. Verse 13 of 2 Kings 5 shows real wisdom: “and his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?’ ” That is what Naaman did, and he was healed.
We have this additional consideration: ” ‘For who has despised the day of small things?’ ” (Zechariah 4:10). It is all too human a proclivity to do just that. But we must not do this!
What we can do is to continue in sincere and fervent PRAYER for one another and for the work of God. To the many among our dedicated members who are doing what they can–EVEN OVER AND ABOVE–we say THANK YOU!
©2024 Church of the Eternal God
