Words to Stand On - Lord, I'm Tired of Working

Do you feel unappreciated?  Do you ever think, "Lord, why should I work so hard as a Sunday School teacher (or whatever your ministry is) and no one cares?" I've been there.

Let's face it, to be effective, we must put effort into our work.  Being human, we get tired - especially if we feel that our efforts go unnoticed.

We must realize that we cannot measure success in our work by earthly standards. What the world considers success is rarely what God considers success. You may feel that your ministry is not bearing fruit at the present time, but the future will show the true results.

The other day, our speaker at church quoted the following scripture:

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 NIV

I had heard these verses before; in fact, I'd even taught a Bible study including this passage.  God used this and spoke in a new and different way to me that day.

"Let nothing move you," in other words, don't quit for any reason. It doesn't look like anything is happening? Keep on keeping on!

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord."  Hmm.... doesn't sound like the Lord is worried about us burning out!  Giving yourselves fully means going all out - working with passion.

In the end, He promises it won't be in vain.

"But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere," 2 Corinthians 2:14 AMP

Through Christ we will always end up in a good place!

 "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." Galatians 6:9 AMP

Remember the law of sowing and reaping. Our work sometimes seems only like sowing for a harvest that never comes.  Yet, at the due time, the fruit is going to come in.  Don't quit just before the harvest!

One last thought, you may be called to a work that is not "in the ministry."  You are to still work just like you are working for God.  God also calls people to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, carpenters, and yes, homemakers as well.

In fact, if you belong to the Lord, whatever occupation you are in at the present time is an opportunity to work for God.  Do your job with excellence. Don't slack off.  You'll be glad later that you persevered.

Do you have Words to Stand On that you'd like to share?  Leave a link to your post or your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear your insights.

Friday's Fave Five #75

I'm back!  I missed being a part of Susanne's Friday's Fave Five for several weeks now due to life creeping in and taking up all my spare time!  Once again, I'm joining my friends as we reflect on five favorite things that happened in our week.

1.  Time Off:  One of the highlights this week is that as I am recuperating from a severe upper respiratory infection, I have earned time off to cover the days I miss at work.  What a blessing this benefit is!

2. The Winter Olympics:  Even though I am not a sports person at all, whenever the Olympics are on, I must watch every bit of television coverage.  I love the stories of the athletes!  I love when my country's team wins a medal! I'm just an Olympics junkie!

3.  New computer:  The last few weeks at work have been a struggle with a 7 year old computer that was about to bite the dust.  A new computer was ordered and installed this week.  Oh, the difference! I click on something and it comes up RIGHT AWAY.

4.  Winning a Giveaway:  This week, I received in the mail my most recent winning at a blogger's giveaway. The prize was "The Red Plate." The Red Plate is used in celebrating special days.  You serve the guest of honor their meal on the Red Plate.  Is it your birthday? You get to eat your meal on the Red Plate!  Did you get an A on your final exam? Dinner on the Red Plate! Thanks to Kristen at We are THAT Family for hosting this giveaway.

5. My Favorite Chair:  While I've been watching the Olympics and healing from my recent illness, I've been resting in my favorite chair.  It's so comfy!  Even better, I found it this year at a yard sale for $15!!!  Gotta love a bargain that feels and looks good!

Would you like to share the highlights from your week?  Join Suzanne from Living to Tell the Story.

Words to Stand On - He's a Personal God

For years, I've struggled with feeling personally loved by God. Oh yes, I believe He loved the world so much that He gave His Son for it!  The struggle was with the idea that if I was the only one here, He would have made that same sacrifice.


I know all my faults too well; the many times I have went the wrong direction at the same bump in the road, the good intentions never done.  I'm just not worth the King of Glory's notice.


One day, I heard a member of the Christian singing group, Selah, quote this passage on television:

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. 

   I've called your name. You're mine.

When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. 

   When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.

When you're between a rock and a hard place, 

   it won't be a dead end—

Because I am God, your personal God, 

   The Holy of Israel, your Savior.

I paid a huge price for you: 

   all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!

That's how much you mean to me! 

   That's how much I love you!

I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, 

   trade the creation just for you."  Isaiah 43:1-4 MSG

Isn't it beautiful?  It's a love letter from the Great I Am to little ol' me! (or you!)


There is so much richness packed in this little gem of scripture. Assurance. Redemption. Deliverance. The knowledge that He calls me by my name.


I so much appreciated the phrase "your personal God."  It spoke to me just where I was the day I heard it. 


And then He ends the letter with an incredible declaration of love.  Really?? The God of the Universe would trade creation just for me?  How special and honored I felt when I read His words.


This portion of scripture was written to the children of Abraham, but we become spiritual "children of Abraham" when we make Christ our Lord and Savior and can stand on the promises and blessings, too.  (See Galatians 3, especially verses 9 & 29.)


Try reading this passage and inserting your name wherever it says "you." You'll feel so special!

Words to Stand On - I Am A Friend of God

Have you ever seen a situation where one person doesn't like another? Then, some type of conflict forces them to work things out and they become friends - sometimes best friends. If you had asked them before the conflict if they could be friends the answer would be a definite "no."



When I was in the third grade, a little girl and I seemed to clash over everything. She just seemed to be at odds with whatever I did.  If  I said the sky was blue, she'd say it was gray.  If  I said it was cold, she'd say it was hot. We were the top two students in the class and our rivalry seemed to spill over into everything, especially the playground.


It even got into name-calling.  My last name was Winn, so she felt it was funny to sing "Winners, win up with Malt-O-Meal (a popular commercial at the time) every time she saw me.  Her last name was Salsbury, so I'd come back with "Oh, yeah?  I think I feel like having a salsbury steak!" (I was sharp like that.)


Our teacher, being the wise woman she was, decided to have us work on a special project together.  So many years have passed now that I can't remember what the project was, but I do remember that we both felt interested and important working on it.  Once we really put our minds together to accomplish something, we found common ground. 


We ended up being friends and even went to each other's houses for play dates!


Did you know that all of us started out life being enemies of God?


"This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." Colossians 1:21-22


That's the ultimate enemy-turning-into-friend story! God so awesomely redeemed us through His death on the cross and He would been more than justified to make us His slaves for all of our past transpressions, yet He chooses to have us as His friends!  You can't get a better deal than that!


It boggles my mind that He'd want me for a friend.  I'm not good friend material at all. Yet He overlooks my shortcomings and even says in His word that He makes me holy, blameless and without a single fault in the presence of God. It's amazing!


I think the following song says it all:

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD

By Israel Houghton

VERSE:

Who am I that you are mindful of me

That you hear me, when I call

Is it true that you are thinking of me

How you love me, it's amazing (Who am I Lord)

CHORUS:

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

He calls me friend

BRIDGE:

God Almighty

Lord of Glory

You have called me friend

The above post was written to kick-off my new weekly feature, Words to Stand On.  Each Tuesday, I'll examine a scripture and apply it to every day life.  I hope you'll join me!

Random Dozen - February 4, 2010

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”
Sometimes.  Most of the time, the labels look cheesy, so I don't want to use them.


2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?
I don't know that I have a favorite time for skywatching ... I always glance up at the sky when I go dump the table scraps after dinner in the dumpster ... does that count?

3. What is the most adventurous you've ever been with trying a new food? (Keep it G-rated please)
I attended a junior high in Florida, and the school took us to a nature camp. We learned about oysters and the principal encouraged us to try raw oysters.  I did try one, and never have and never will again.


4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there's a reason for this one!)
Is this anything like hearing voices? Because, of course not, I would never hear such a thing.

5. If you could learn a language you don't presently speak, what would it be?
Spanish, because half the world seems to speak it.

 
6. Al Capone's tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
"She made a difference."


7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like.
Even with my great imagination, I can't picture myself ever being a famous musician. It seems to me that if you want to be known by only one name, you'd want it to be a name that says something about you or a quality you cherish. So I think I'd like to be known as "Faith."


8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?
No. I did really used to like to watch "Jon & Kate + 8" but that's over for me now ... But I wasn't "into" it, I just liked to watch it if I remembered it was on.

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Any other variation we should know about?
Really big sneezes, usually 3 times in a row.  It's a gift.

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?
I mostly just glance at the headlines on the fox news home page.

11. Are you a good speller?
Yes, in my office, I am known as the human dictionary.  If you see any mistakes in spelling in my blog, they're really typos!

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about Lost lunch?
11:00 a.m. if I'm at work, 2:00 p.m. if I'm home!

Would you like to see other random answers?  Visit Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee.