Maintain A Heavenly Perspective

Dear Friend,

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

GiG, it is the Message translation I’d like to focus upon for just a moment.

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. 1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG

Paul says that because of the resurrection, nothing we do is in vain.

Sometimes we hesitate in doing good because we are not sure we will see any results. But if we can maintain a heavenly perspective, we will understand that we often will not see the good that results from our efforts. If we genuinely believe that Christ has won the ultimate victory, that fact must affect the way we live right now. We must not allow discouragement over an apparent lack of results keep us from working. We must do the good we have opportunity to do, knowing our work has eternal rewards.

Sometimes God shines a light in our lives and allow us to see the results of doing good, but that should never be the expectation. This week, he did just that for me, I needed to know whether all these hours of working (after all I am retired), the many hours away from my family, and reducing my availability for the Saturday GiG is worth it. My heavenly Father knowing my state of mind, gave me a behind the scene glimpse of a life that he’s rebuilding and that I get the privilege to see unfolding through a series of “doing good” when everything in me wanted to pull back, hunker down and waive the white flag of I’m done. He gently presses in on me with, “There’s more…Lean in closer not away and I’ll carry you.”

I can often take for granted my ability to listen, that is listening with both ears and my heart. Maybe you too need reminding that triumph of Christ is not temporary, it is a lifestyle—a state of being and not something we do, it is something we are.

May we be encouraged to respond when pressed on every side, victory is still ours. Whether we’re being carried, crawling, walking or running makes no never-mind. Triumph is a precious thing, we love it, but it is fleeting. However, the triumph of Christ is everlasting; let HE remain our focus.

God’s Got It… so we can know the TRUTH—Wisdom is a person—God. It’s impossible to become wise apart from Christ, though many try.

DEA