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Labor For The Master
Labor For The Master
As I write this article it is Labor Day. A day set aside to honor the American worker. A day to celebrate those who give an honest days work for an honest wage. We are admonished in the scriptures to do our best for our masters aka bosses. Consider the following passage. “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free”. (Ephesians 6:5-8 ESV)We are to do our jobs and perform our tasks sincerely with good and honest hearts. Not to pander to people or just to make ourselves look good but as if we were going whatever it is to the Lord. When we do this we will be “doing the will of God from the heart”. Let's see what the wisest man that ever lived has to say on this subject. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might”... (Ecclesiastes 9:10a ESV) Solomon admonishes us to give our best effort in whatever we are doing. This is not in reference just to working for our “masters” but whatever we decide to do we need to do it with our might.
We may be doing well in following these scriptures in reference to the physical world but how are going when we apply them to ourselves spiritually? We have a Lord and master to whom we have voluntarily made ourselves bondservants. He expects us to labor for him with our might. So consider the great commission. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)Go is not a suggestion. Jesus didn't say you might want to do this. He gave us a command and that command is to go. We are expected to labor for the Lord and spread the good news.
We are expected to use the things given to us according to our ability. Consider the parable of the talents. "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 25:14-30)In verse 15 each was given according to his ability. So whether we are entrusted with much like the one given five talents or not as much like the one given one talent we all have ability. We must employ that ability for the betterment of our Lord. In the story the good and faithful servants were the ones who gained increase for the master. The ultimate gain we get for our Lord are lost souls that are reconciled to God. The fearful and slothful servant never used what was given to him for the betterment of the master. He hid what was given to him. He was rejected for not working as he should have. He had the ability but not the will to use what was given to him and it cost him all. We are entrusted with the Gospel. We are blessed with the knowledge of Jesus and his sacrifice and how access that atoning blood. Paul said “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1&2 NKJVPaul one of the greatest advocates for the Lord claimed to know no more than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul's ability to proclaim the gospel is well documented in the scriptures. Can we not do the same and proclaim what we know about Jesus? We had better. Jesus commanded that we go. We all have been entrusted with something precious and we all are blessed with ability. If we are like the fearful and slothful servant and hide what is entrusted and neglect our ability it will cost us everything.
Article by Aaron Fleenor
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