Working for Prosperity

Labor Day 2011. It was so great to be at worship Sunday. Reminded once again the calling God has on me, on us. The thought of being sought by the creator of the universe, called from the darkeness to his wonderful light, equipped for the work he has called us to - his work, sharing in what he is doing - reconciliation, making things right, even in the place where he has us now. Sunday brought back into perspective Jeremiah 29:1-14. It reminded me of a few times when I felt out of place, or in a place I did not want to be. I responded like Jonah mostly, when I should have been a Daniel or Jeremiah.

Even into my cancer, and the struggle it has been, especially the anxiety of late: I must have his help daily to see what he has called me to for using this for him. I am woefully inadequate to speak, save for his influence to me, and so I hope always to be faithful. That he chooses us in our weakness to bear witness to him is more than humbling, because I fear my faults shine through far more than his mercy.

But his mercy is the cause of it all. Because he loves us . . . He is moved to pursue us, call us to himself, and we, turning to him in agreement that we have rebelled against him and deserve his just condemnation apart from Christ alone, then are given by grace through God's mercy Christ's salvation purchased for us on the cross. We are free now. No longer must we look at God as a sort of scale of justice, all our supposed good on one side, all our bad on the other with us in the middle to try to tip it in our favor. Think about it - we are still responsible for we have the truth, but we cannot effect our salvation anymore than if we could affect it. Christ's sacrifice is sufficient once and for all. He needs nothing from us. But he does want us for a blessing: in Micah 6:6-8,

What we do now is for the kingdom. Every vocation is a calling of the believer by God to work for the prosperity of the place where God has planted him. We work to shine the truth of the gospel into our everyday life. Worship is even individual and corporate. So must our understanding of integrating work and faith. We're in the world - with all it's brokenness, wrong, hurt, shame, pain and suffering to be a blessing . . . God's blessing to those who still need him. From this Labor Day and beyond, consider how God wants to use you for a blessing to the traveler about his kingdom.