THERE’S NO FUN LIKE HARD WORK

“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden 
to work it and watch over it”
(Genesis 2:15 HCSB).

My father had many “sayings.” This was one of them. And he believed it. He loved work. I think he was the most hardworking man I have ever seen in my life. He was never happier than when he was working.

Do you love work? When I was a child, I used to think that God gave work as part of the curse! But of course, that’s a lie. God introduced work at the very beginning. As soon as God created the garden home, He put the man in it to work and guard it. The Hebrew word “avad” for work means “to serve, till, labor, to make weary.” That sounds like hard work.

Work Releases Creativity

Physical work is a blessing. It releases creativity. It actually precedes creativity. As we work, we think of better ways of doing things. More efficient. More ingenious. And then of course, as we think of these things, we get involved in more work. And that releases more creativity. Isn’t that exciting?

Let’s embrace work with a joyful and exciting attitude. Let’s have the right confession. Do you ever say, “I love work.”? I love to say these words.

Get your children to love work. This is a very important habit to instill in them while they are young. It breaks my heart to see lazy children who don’t want to work. They haven’t been trained. We must train our children to work. Not by nagging them. Not by yelling at them to stop being lazy. Not by punishing them. But by encouraging them. By thinking of ways to show them how to make it fun.

Work Releases Human Dignity

Work is part of human dignity. Work is an expression of the image of God. He is a Creator and therefore He works. After resting on the seventh day, He began working again. He created the Garden of Eden and then He planted a garden. Yes, God, the ruler of the universe, prepared the soil and put His hands right into the soil and planted (Genesis 2:8)! Some people think they are better than God and they would rather not get their hands dirty. Proverbs 12:11 (CEB) says: “Those who work their land will have plenty to eat, but those who engage in empty pursuits have no sense.”

Jesus said: “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17).

Work is Holy

God looks upon all work as holy, whether it is sacred or secular. Working in your home—scrubbing toilets, changing diapers, vacuuming, preparing meals, and washing dishes are just as sacred as the pastor preaching on Sunday. We often think of the priests as holy men of God. But the majority of them were butchers, slaughtering beasts and cutting them up all day long. They were tough and I am sure had well developed muscles. Others were bakers, cleaners, and gatekeepers are the temple doors (yes, they were bouncers!). And they were all holy and anointed for these “sacred” tasks.

Work is Worship

Another meaning of the word “avad” means “to worship.” Work is worship to God. When we do it with a willing and joyful spirit, we are actually worshipping God because He created us in His image to work! As you are busy working in your home, you are worshipping all day long.

Are you getting excited about work? Gather your children around and remind them how God created work for our blessing. It is holy and sacred. And when they do their chores with a willing heart, they are worshipping God. And if they try to do them to the best of their ability, God will show them better and quicker ways of doing them. And they’ll have more time for play!

I love work, don’t you?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, Thank You for showing me that You have given work as a gift to my life. It is Your blessing to me— physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Help me to always work with a joyful and enthusiastic attitude. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I love work. It gets things done and makes things happen! It makes the world go round.

WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 4
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find SO DOING”
(Matthew 24:46).

We discover the rest of the “duty” Scriptures today:

1. KEEPING THE “DAILY DUTY” IN MY HOME

2 Chronicles 8:14: “And he appointed to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests as the duty of every day required.”

Ezra 3:4 also talks about the daily duties of the priests where they “offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required.”

God ordained the morning and evening daily sacrifice. They also had to attend to the fire upon the brazen altar every morning and evening, to light the lamps every morning and evening, and to light the sweet incense every morning and evening. Among other things these were their daily duties.

God ordained the morning and evening principle back in tabernacle days which is good for us to continue each day. We keep the fire burning in our homes as we establish the family altar morning and evening (not a literal altar, but a gathering together as a family to read God’s word and pray). Any less is not enough to keep the fire burning. Any less is not enough to keep the light shining. That’s why we need to come before the Lord as a family every morning and evening to read God’s Word and to cry out to Him.

Can I remind you of the words in this one little Scripture in Ezra 3:4?

“custom” – it was not a haphazard thing; it was a habit!

“duty” – it was not something they did if they felt like it; they saw it as a daily duty!

“every day” – it was a daily commitment!

“required” – God required it!

Our family altar is a duty, but when God is truly No. 1 in our lives, it will be our greatest delight and the most “longed for” times of each day.

Albert Barness writes: “It is possible to deny the faith by conduct as well as words; a neglect of doing our duty is as real a denial or Christianity as it would be to openly renounce it.”

2. UNWORTHY SERVANTS SIMPLY DOING OUR DUTY

Do you remember the parable Jesus told of the hard-working servant? After ploughing in the field all day and tending to the sheep he comes in ready to sit down and relax. How nice! No, instead, without a word of thanks his master tells him to put on his apron, prepare his meal, and serve him. “Then you can eat later,” he says. You can read the story in Luke 17:7-10.

With the “demanding our rights” and “entitlement” attitudes many people have today, this parable would make them very upset! Many folks would like to eliminate the word “duty” from their vocabulary. Very few know the meaning of “going the second mile.” Employees clock out the moment time is up. They couldn’t give their employer one minute more of their time!

But Jesus is sharing a very important discipleship truth. If we truly are a disciple of Jesus, He will be our Master. Conversely, if He is our Master, we will truly be an obedient and submissive servant. That’s the relationship of a master and slave. And this is the relationship of a disciple. There are many who confess they are Christians but how many are disciples?

Half the parables Jesus told were about servants, which the people understood, because servants and slaves were part of the culture at that time. Paul and other disciples of Christ confessed that they were slaves of Christ. It’s the Greek word “doulos” and means “one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will altogether consumed in the will of the other.”

How does this affect us in the home? Much of what we need to do in our homes each day are duties and obligations. To keep a home running smoothly and efficiently and to keep a family fed and nourished takes time, planning, and WORK. And often it is the same thing every day. Life is spiced with adventures and parties, but the foundation is duty. It’s how the world keeps going.

Can we accept our duties with joy? Let’s see them as what they really are—productive, powerful, and impacting lives and generations to come. It’s often the mundane, habitual things of life that add up to being powerful.

Can we say with Luke 17:10: “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.’”

Will the Lord find us “doing our duty” when He comes?

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, Thank you for teaching me that duty is the life of a disciple. I want to be more than a believer. I want to be a true disciple. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I’m not afraid of duty. It is part of my delightful lifestyle.

WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 3
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his lie for my sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it”
(Mark 8:35).

We are currently looking at the Scriptures in the Bible which specifically mention a duty. Do you remember that the word for duty is “opheilo” and means “to owe, to be morally obligated, pay the debt, express human and ethical responsibility, to fall in duty, it’s a must”?

1. BEARING WITH THE FAILINGS OF THE WEAK

Romans 15:1: “We then that are strong ought (it’s our duty) to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

It’s easy to pass by those who are weak and struggling as we get on with our own lives with all our visions and projects. But God wants us to take time for the weak and fainthearted—to invite them to our homes, to bear them up, to encourage them, and to hold them up.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 exhorts us to “comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

2. THANKING GOD FOR ONE ANOTHER

Paul writes to the Thessalonians believers in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2;13: “We are bound (we have a duty) to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

I think this is something we often forget to do, isn’t it? feel guilty as I think how often I forget to do this. If we thanked God more often for specific brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, we’d be reminded more of special things to do for them to encourage and spur them on in the faith. May God save us from getting so taken up with our selfish lives that we forget to thank God for other believers who are part of our lives.

Years and years ago I remember God speaking to me very powerfully. I was walking over the doorstep into my home when I heard God speak strongly to my heart, “Nancy, how can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking about yourself?” What a powerful question. We need to give God room in our hearts and minds for others. If our minds are totally taken up with thinking about ourselves, how will we have room to think of other people –to thank God for them and bless and encourage them?

Wouldn’t it be great to take on the challenge of thinking of one extra person each day? To thank God for them and to think of something special we could do to encourage them. Either give them a call, send them a card, write them a loving message, or listen closely to the Holy Spirit for some specific thing He would want us to do for them.

I find that I often wake up praying for a believer, maybe someone I haven’t even thought about for a long time. Obviously, they need my prayers and also to contact them.

3. TEACHING OTHERS WHO ARE YOUNGER IN THE FAITH

Hebrews 5:12 (NLT) says: “You have been believers so long now that you ought (opheilo—it is your duty) to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

How long are we meant to stay spiritual babies? We would be devastated if we were still spoon feeding our little babies and toddlers when they were four or five years old! And yet many adults still need to be spoon fed when they are adults! They still don’t feed from God’s Word each day for themselves. They wait for Sunday for the pastor to spoon feed it into their mouths.

As babies in Christ we soak up the milk as people teach us (1 Peter 2:2). But we don’t stay on milk. We’ve got to get into the meat and learn how to get daily food for ourselves and learn how to chew on it and digest meaty things. This Scripture doesn’t say it’s a good idea. It says we ought to be doing it.

But we should not only be getting into the meat. We should be teaching those who are younger in the faith than we are. It’s our duty! Of course, as mothers we’ll be teaching our children. You may be homeschooling but are you teaching them the truths and sound doctrine of God’s word?

I am amazed at how many children graduate from homeschooling and yet are not students of God’s word. They don’t even know it. They don’t know the doctrines of their faith. They don’t even know how to use a concordance. They don’t know the teaching of the tabernacle which is the basis of our Christian faith. It is from these types and revelations that the early church understood their salvation! It is from where Jesus spoke to the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). It from the Torah and the prophetical OT books that Paul taught the kingdom of God and the way of salvation each day (Acts 28:23, 30, 31).

What are you teaching your children?

PRAYER:

Dear Father, I want to be a meat eater of Your precious Word. I want to know what you think about all things in life. Please help me to be diligent in studying Your Word and to also teach my children diligently. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am filling my children RICHLY with God’s word. I am teaching them the deep doctrines of the faith.

WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 2
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

“Whosever will be great among you; let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to e ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”
(Matthew 20:26-28).

Here are some more biblical “duties” for you today:

1) WALKING AS JESUS WALKED

This is a tall order, isn’t it? 1 John 2:6 says: “He that saith he abideth in him ought (it’s our duty) to walk, even as he walked.” We read this Scripture in our morning devotions today. Our life must match our confession. If we confess that Jesus is Lord and abides in us, His life should be revealed through us—in our homes and in our family lives.

“Even as Jesus walked.” That’s a tall order, isn’t it? Of course, we cannot do it in our own strength. It is only as Christ’s life abides in us and flows through us.

2) LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OUR FELLOW BELIEVERS

1 John 3:16 says: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought (it’s our duty) to lay down our lives for the brethren.” The NLT says it very clearly: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Do you think we could be a long way off the true picture of Christianity?

3) SHOWING HOSPITALITY AND PROVIDING FOR TRAVELING MISSIONARIES

3 John 1:5-8: “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers . . . We therefore ought (it’s our duty) to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.” As we show hospitality and financially support those who are preaching and teaching the gospel of truth, we are co-workers with them and with the Holy Spirit. We are companions with them for spreading the truth.

Romans 15:27 (NLT) says: “Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.” The KJV states that it is their “duty.”

4) HUSBANDS LOVING THEIR WIVES AS THEIR OWN BODIES

Ephesians 5:28 (AMP): “Even so (read verses 25-27) husbands should and are morally obligated (it’s their duty) to love their own wives as (being in a sense) their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. “

This is God’s vision for marriage. His ways are wondrous. But there are two sad things about this Scripture. Firstly, the feminist movement are foundationally against men, especially in marriage. They’d rather eliminate them. How sad that they don’t understand God’s wondrous plan that a husband is to be as concerned about his wife as he is about his own body.

Secondly, it is sad that so many husbands have not been taught their duty and moral obligation from God. When they know it and embrace it, they not only gloriously bless their wives, but their own lives also! Their duty turns into glorious delight!

5) WASHING ONE ANOTHER’S FEET

You know the incident of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet which is a picture of servanthood and willingly choosing the lowly place. Although Jesus was God and had come from the glory of eternity, He was always willing to take the humble positron.

He reminded His disciples that the one who serves is the greatest in the kingdom of God. Therefore, after He washed their feet, He says to them, and to you and me: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet: ye also ought (it’s your duty) to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15).

We may not literally wash someone’s feet each day, but we can willingly serve in our homes and those who are around us. Even in menial and lowly things. Jesus actually says it is our duty!

PRAYER:

“Dear Lord Jesus, You came to this earth to be a servant and to give Your life. Please help me to follow in Your footsteps and that to serve is the greatest ministry of all. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am JOYFULLY serving in my home. It is my greatest privilege.

P.S. Scriptures to look up about being a servant: (Matthew 20:26-28; 23:11; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 7:28; 22:24-27; Philippians 2:5-8; and 1 Peter 2:21).