Commit to the Work
It’s a complex dance—being faithful with the opportunities God gives you while also trusting Him with the variables that are out of your control.
The writer of Proverbs, typically attributed to King Solomon, said this:
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Proverbs 16:3 ESV
It sounds simple enough—to commit your work to the Lord. But it takes intentional effort, continual surrender, and genuine trust.
Throughout Scripture, we see all kinds of work: farming, building, pastoring, parenting, fishing, doctoring, leading, designing, singing, writing, engineering, shepherding, and much more.
In his letter to the Roman believers, Paul discusses talents and gifts when he says:
“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans 12:6-8 NLT
You can commit your work to God by:
You can plant a seed in good soil, position it for ideal sunlight, and water it consistently, but—above all—it’s God who gave you the seed and it’s God who makes the seed grow.
Our job is obedience, God’s job is everything else. So whatever you do, commit your work, your efforts, and your life to Him—and watch Him work through you.
The Mission of the Church
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, he spent 40 days on earth ministering to people and preparing His disciples for life without Him. Jesus planned on leaving earth and ascending to heaven, but before doing so, He gave His disciples a mission found in Matthew 28:19-20. We often call this The Great Commission.
The Great Commission begins with getting up and going to places where people need to hear about the good news of Jesus. This doesn’t mean you have to leave your country—there are people in your own neighborhood and workplace that need to hear the hope of Jesus.
The ultimate goal of the Great Commission is to make followers of Jesus. So as we go about sharing the good news of Jesus with people, we're to show people how Jesus has changed our lives, and invite them to discover Jesus for themselves.
It can be easy to think that making disciples is the responsibility of our church pastors and ministry leaders. While those things certainly are part of every ...