Work, Ministry & Passion

     It's a rather quiet and cool night in Malaysia today. I had a hectic day at the office, as usual. Came back feeling exhausted and worn-out. Still I can't help thinking of my work tomorrow. Somehow I decided to quieten myself and turn my thoughts to God. I opened my bible and read the Word of God. I felt God's presence all around my little world (my room). Thus, I felt a strong urge to share some thoughts on work, ministry and perhaps, a little on passion.

     Yes, there are work to be done and datelines to meet. Working in one of the global firm is not always easy for me. Besides my normal working life, I hold certain responsibilities in church. Well, it seems to me that everyday is work, work and more work! I'm sure some of you will agree with me that we can't run away from working, right? For most of us, we work to earn a living. We take care of our parents, and for some of us, we have to help pay bills for the household. In short, we work hard to meet our daily needs.

     So, that's work. Ministry, on the other hand, is something we do willingly for the Lord. Why? Because we love the Lord and want to serve Him. (If there is anyone who serves the Lord "unwillingly", he/she better check his/her heart). For me, I'm serving in the worship/music ministry in my church. Sometimes I back-up for the worship leader and sometimes I worship lead on Sundays. For that, I have to go for worship practice regularly. Hence, that's work too! In this case, working for the Lord.

     Here comes my point. Everyday we are busy with our work and serving the Lord. We come back, at the end of the day, weary and drained out. We spend a mere 10 minutes with the Lord, reading His Word, pray and then hit the sheets (zzzzzzzzz). The next day, the cycle repeats itself. Sounds familiar?

     A very good friend of mine reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Here is Martha, who loves the Lord (I believe) cumbered with much serving, became weary. She came to the Lord and said, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me" (KJV). Martha was doing a good job serving our Lord. However, she forgot to take time to sit down at the feet of Jesus to draw strength and hear from Jesus. The answer Jesus said to Martha was gentle and loving. I can imagine his tone of voice when he said, "Martha, Martha..." (vv. 41-42). You know the rest of the story.

     In my humble opinion, our ministry can be an idol, if we are not careful. Satan wants us to work and make us think we are doing God a favour. No wonder a lot of people gave up serving God after a while (oh yes, I came across people who gave up after many years serving the Lord). Like the story above, Jesus reminds us that one thing is needed; we need to take time to sit at his feet and hear from him.

     I believe God wants us to have a balanced life. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We, as Christians, need to discern when to say "yes" and when to say a gentle "no." I'm not saying we cannot serve the Lord actively, ok? Praise God if we have all the energy to do so! What I'm stressing here is that, if we serve and work hard using our own strength and wisdom, we will soon fall into Satan's trap. Serve with joy and passion! Passion is an important factor in order to serve the Lord. Without passion for the Lord, we can't serve God. Passion is something within our hearts that is burning to do something for God.

     Friends, if we take a good look at the world today, people need the Lord. Millions are dying everyday and going to hell. We always pray and hope the Lord will come soon. But the truth is, He won't come until the Gospel is preached to the world. Let's start with our own families, workplace, universities...etc. Wherever God places, us, there is a purpose.

     Let's make a difference in the lives of others and have compassion for their souls. One significant way of telling the difference between a believer and a non-believer is by the fruits we bear. "Ye shall know them by their fruits (Matt 7:16). And of course, the fruits of the spirit is in Gal 5:22-23. Can you imagine God actually says, "Against such there is no law?" (KJV). Again, my humble opinion is this, God gives us a choice to follow his laws and ways. He can treat us like a robot, if He wants to, because, after all, he created us, right? But he gave us something called "free will." As a result of this "free will", there is a consequence to bear (Gal 6:7-8).  

     To wrap-up the whole discussion above:

     1.Why worry about tomorrow? The bible says, "The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He cast away the desire of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:3). Read also Isaiah 55:1-3. If ever the world comes to a point where we have to receive the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell (Rev 13:1618), take heed, Our God is a God of the great prophets in the old and new testaments. Hallelujah! Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever [Hebrews 13:8--KJV]

     2.Whenever I'm stressed up with work, God reminded me that He is by my side, guiding me and giving me wisdom on how to organize and get my work done on time. Always remember, God is in control of everything, even if things don't seem to go our way. Life is not a bed of roses, anyway.

     3.Serve the Lord with all your heart and with joy! Whether we work to earn a living or serving the Lord using our talents, always remember this: "Whatever you do work it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, NOT for men". (Col 3:23) Do I hear an Amen?

     Perhaps, next time, when you are weary, why not go to the beach or park and just enjoy the creation of God? Listen to the sound of the waves, admire the horizon, the beauty of the sunset...aahhh, it could changed your prospective of life, like it did to me. Take a good look at the flowers, smell its fragrance. Believe me, you'll go back refreshed. Of course, above all, read the Word of God and be still and know that He is God.

Grace and peace,

Elaine