Working for the Lord with All Your Heart
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.”Colossians 3:23.
* Here are a few thoughts that came to my mind after we installed new officers, board members, and committee members this last Sunday at church.
1. I pray that those who were installed in their respective responsibilities do recognize that they are being called by God - What do I mean? Well, it is the Holy Spirit that calls us to have faith in Christ but He also EQUIPS us to do the work of the Kingdom of God as He enlightens us with GIFTS. The positions to which people were called & placed in, are not some random happenstance. God, in His wisdom, placed them there for the wellbeing of the Church.
2. I often hear people say that church work by lay people is “volunteer work.” That is right & wrong… depending of what is meant by it. It is RIGHT in the sense that empowered by the Spirit we WANT to do the work of the Lord because we have experienced His love. Now we are making ourselves available in the same way Mary did when the angel told her she would be the mother of the Savior. She said “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” She was ready to serve even though it would be a difficult task for her. She did it with her heart of love. But it is WRONG when we look at it as something that we can “take or leave.” Do you remember the story of Jonah? When God called him, he refused to go to Nineveh & he had to learn that God’s call is a serious matter. We can’t just say, “Nah… Ain’t gonna do that!” Believe me, there might be consequences.
* As children of God through Jesus Christ we have been given tasks. Often these tasks are not easy. Often we want to fulfill that task in a certain way, but because we are part of the body of Christ we need to make adjustments on how we do them. God might be redirecting us in how we fulfill our calling with the ideas & suggestions of others within the body of Christ.
3. Once called & installed, we need to stick to it! God does not call us and then allows us to jump ship when the first difficulty comes our way. God wants us to be faithful even to the point of death in everything. There are situations in which we are free to move on to other tasks, but those are exception to the rule – for example, if we physically can no long fulfill a certain calling.
* So today I want to thank all those who are willing to SERVE the Lord in their capacities WITH GLADNESS. It is wonderful to see the work of the Lord progress as we seek the Kingdom of God and place it as the number one priority in life. Today I am not saying thank you only to those who serve on boards/committees, but to ALL who take their calling seriously and work without being acknowledged publicly. So, THANK YOU FOR NOT GIVING UP! THANK YOU FOR SERVING!
* No matter what you do - your CALLING is more than a job. The Bible says that while you are on earth, the effective use of your gifts are to be an act of worship. If your heart is not in it, ask the Lord for a renewed willingness to serve with enthusiasm. So, why work with all your heart? Because you are working “as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.” No matter what I do, if it is to prepare a meal, sing, teach Sunday School, carry chairs, visit someone, do the analysis of the financial situation of the church… whatever it is, I am to do it as if I'm doing it for God, and so it becomes an act of worship. God wants willingness to serve, not necessarily intelligence. God is more concerned with our “I will” than our IQ.
* Martin Luther said that a shoemaker making a shoe for the glory of God, using his skill, is just as holy as a pastor preaching a sermon. His point was: we all have a calling. God made us and gifted us differently and when you do that for the glory of God, it is just as holy as “spiritual activity.” All work is sacred if it is done for the Lord.
* Also thank you to all who bring their TITHES & OFFERINGS faithfully to the house of the Lord. The church needs financial resources to effectively continue to reach the community. Last year we fell a bit short financially. Make sure you are giving sacrificially and with joy in your heart. Let’s do it all with love and consecration… and we will be blessed.
Your pastor, Rev. Don Sonntag
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.”Colossians 3:23.
* Here are a few thoughts that came to my mind after we installed new officers, board members, and committee members this last Sunday at church.
1. I pray that those who were installed in their respective responsibilities do recognize that they are being called by God - What do I mean? Well, it is the Holy Spirit that calls us to have faith in Christ but He also EQUIPS us to do the work of the Kingdom of God as He enlightens us with GIFTS. The positions to which people were called & placed in, are not some random happenstance. God, in His wisdom, placed them there for the wellbeing of the Church.
2. I often hear people say that church work by lay people is “volunteer work.” That is right & wrong… depending of what is meant by it. It is RIGHT in the sense that empowered by the Spirit we WANT to do the work of the Lord because we have experienced His love. Now we are making ourselves available in the same way Mary did when the angel told her she would be the mother of the Savior. She said “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” She was ready to serve even though it would be a difficult task for her. She did it with her heart of love. But it is WRONG when we look at it as something that we can “take or leave.” Do you remember the story of Jonah? When God called him, he refused to go to Nineveh & he had to learn that God’s call is a serious matter. We can’t just say, “Nah… Ain’t gonna do that!” Believe me, there might be consequences.
* As children of God through Jesus Christ we have been given tasks. Often these tasks are not easy. Often we want to fulfill that task in a certain way, but because we are part of the body of Christ we need to make adjustments on how we do them. God might be redirecting us in how we fulfill our calling with the ideas & suggestions of others within the body of Christ.
3. Once called & installed, we need to stick to it! God does not call us and then allows us to jump ship when the first difficulty comes our way. God wants us to be faithful even to the point of death in everything. There are situations in which we are free to move on to other tasks, but those are exception to the rule – for example, if we physically can no long fulfill a certain calling.
* So today I want to thank all those who are willing to SERVE the Lord in their capacities WITH GLADNESS. It is wonderful to see the work of the Lord progress as we seek the Kingdom of God and place it as the number one priority in life. Today I am not saying thank you only to those who serve on boards/committees, but to ALL who take their calling seriously and work without being acknowledged publicly. So, THANK YOU FOR NOT GIVING UP! THANK YOU FOR SERVING!
* No matter what you do - your CALLING is more than a job. The Bible says that while you are on earth, the effective use of your gifts are to be an act of worship. If your heart is not in it, ask the Lord for a renewed willingness to serve with enthusiasm. So, why work with all your heart? Because you are working “as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.” No matter what I do, if it is to prepare a meal, sing, teach Sunday School, carry chairs, visit someone, do the analysis of the financial situation of the church… whatever it is, I am to do it as if I'm doing it for God, and so it becomes an act of worship. God wants willingness to serve, not necessarily intelligence. God is more concerned with our “I will” than our IQ.
* Martin Luther said that a shoemaker making a shoe for the glory of God, using his skill, is just as holy as a pastor preaching a sermon. His point was: we all have a calling. God made us and gifted us differently and when you do that for the glory of God, it is just as holy as “spiritual activity.” All work is sacred if it is done for the Lord.
* Also thank you to all who bring their TITHES & OFFERINGS faithfully to the house of the Lord. The church needs financial resources to effectively continue to reach the community. Last year we fell a bit short financially. Make sure you are giving sacrificially and with joy in your heart. Let’s do it all with love and consecration… and we will be blessed.
Your pastor, Rev. Don Sonntag