1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
In many of the articles I read this week, there seemed a common thread woven amongst them. The buzz centered around a couple of words, one of which caught my attention. It seemed that the words "legacy" and "moral justification" kept popping up in the conversation. That word legacy touched a nerve in me, because I had been considering that concept in my personal life this week past. Allow me some time here.
Legacy- According to Dictionary.com a legacy is something tangible or intangible that has been "handed down from the past from an ancestor or predecessor."
Have you ever desired or do you now desire a legacy? What that means to me is to produce something of value. Transparently, that is what I talked about to the Lord this week past.My personal specifics are not what is important here. It's the idea of producing some sort of lasting contribution. I suppose that is the best way I can describe it. Oh no, not some monument, physical or otherwise to shout to the world," Here is what Ronnie left us!" No, not at all. More than that, the recognition of the world did not really play into my thought processes at all.
It was simply a desire for a validation of my time and effort expended on this earth. A desire to be approved before the Lord sounds right.
Psalm 19:14 (ESV) 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Does this make any sense to you? Or is it just me? Anyway, in answer to my request, the Lord put the title verse on my heart today. Once more.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
To produce something of value. In our culture this "value," more often than not, concerns itself with accumulation of wealth, materialism and whatnot. We all do it don't we? You know. We will look at the material success of different people and say something like "They made something of themselves." I've done it a thousand times.
That being said, I believe God counsels,encourages,and even endorses in His Word our "qualifying" ourselves in the eyes of the world. I was encouraging my friend Cole this past week, to stay in school, keep his eyes on the prize, and get his degree. You listening Cole?(smile) I rue the day that I threw away my multiple opportunities to obtain a quality education. It would, no doubt ,have served me well in this life.
BUT,.......
God, I am persuaded, looks at our "value" a little differently don't you think? Our value to the world isn't His highest priority is it? I read this week, a short Bible Bio about Andrew, Peter's brother.
Andrew, in Scripture, is known for one thing and one thing only. He brought people to Jesus. That is what he did in the Bible account.
John 1:41 (ESV) 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
John 6:8-9 (ESV) 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
John 12:20-22 (ESV) 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
He was not a part of Jesus' "inner circle" (Peter, James, and John) No mention of a ministry. No preaching, no teaching, no insightful theological treatises, nothing but a seeming desire and need to bring people to Jesus. On top of that we read of no resentment on Andrew's part. No real need for recognition. Peter,Andrew's own flesh and blood,whom he introduced to Jesus; became the spokesperson of the original twelve and went on to pen some words in the Bible itself.
No miracles, no autobiography on his days spent with Jesus. He seemed totally content from the Biblical narrative with fulfilling the need to bring people to the Lord.
His "value" was that of the Lord's errand runner. Yet,Andrew's place is forever recorded in the pages of the Bible itself. He brought people to the Lord.
Hear this brother and sister. As the Lord put it on my heart. Our value, our work for the Lord, no matter how insignificant in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of our critics,or perhaps more importantly, IN OUR OWN EYES, does not go unnoticed. God is mindful and has HIS EYES on our endeavors for Him. Keep at it. It is not in vain.
I shall leave you with this.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (ESV) 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
And this.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (ESV) 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
One day, we as Christians will stand before the Lord Jesus Himself and the "value" of our work will be based not on our worldly accomplishments, but on our aim to please Him. Amen.
Psalm 127:1 (ESV) 1
God Bless
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