Seeking God For Your Work
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[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”left” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
[/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]John 6:27-29; Genesis 1:1-2; Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:5-9; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9; Genesis 3:9; Genesis 3
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal.” Then they said to Him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:27-29)
Let’s be real. How often have you said, “I am so glad my break is done. I can’t wait to go back to work.” Not much? Me, either. Too often, we think of “work” as a four-letter word. Yet I do believe God called me to my job, and I enjoy much of it.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]So what are we to do with our struggle? What work are we supposed to do? Let’s go back to kindergarten.
Kindergarten. It’s a German term that means a “children’s garden” or “garden for children”. Isn’t that what Eden was for Adam and Eve? The Lord had built a cool school, and He enrolled them to live and learn. Part of that involved some fairly basic and unimpressive work of gardening. But work that He would do alongside them. How do we know that? They recognized the footsteps of the Lord when they were trying to hide from Him in the woods (Genesis 3:8) because they had heard those steps before. That verse alludes to some powerful encouragements about God’s work with us.
[tweetthis]God’s work is to follow His Son by faith to bear the fruit of the Father[/tweetthis]First, God took an undeserving world (Genesis 1:1-2), created Adam and Eve in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), left most of the world barren with only the potential of fruit in the ground (Genesis 2:5-9), and placed them in Eden to provide them with the perfect model of what paradise should look like. Their implied task was to follow Him into the rest of the world to work alongside Him, bearing fruit throughout the rest of the world.
Can you imagine God as your co-worker? Yet, by His grace, that is exactly what He still is. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, Paul refers to us as God’s partners, bearing fruit in His field.
Second, we need to understand that, although Adam and Eve in Eden was certainly real history, it was much more. That work of physical gardening with God is a metaphor of our call to spiritual life with Christ, starting the very second He changed you. At this very moment, He’s placed you in specific circumstances and relationships to work with you. Through His commands and promises, His example, and His strength by His Spirit in you, you “feed” others by His glorious co-work with you: how you work with others and care for them as His child, ways you improve your corner of the world, and what you say when they comment on your work. “I have a good Teacher” or “My Boss is awesome” or “I work for my Father” or “You wouldn’t believe my benefits package”.
Lastly (just because I have to stop somewhere), we need to see that His response to the sin of His children is always discipline (to teach and restore) never to punish. Note that the Lord didn’t have to ask Adam and Eve where they were (Gen 3:9). The Almighty knows where we are. He was calling them out of hiding back into relationship by loving confrontation and discipline (Gen 3:11-13 and 16-19), promising to defeat Satan and death (Gen 3:14-15), covering them by the death of Another’s life (Gen 3:21), and preventing them from living in this cursed world forever (Gen 3:22-24). Works of love.
Think about it:
- How might a non-Christian define “work” differently than a person whom Christ has forgiven and changed to follow Him by faith for joy in Him?
- In what specific ways would a Christian’s work please the Lord, regardless of whether they work as a domestic engineer (stay-at-home spouse), a sanitation engineer (garbage person), or an engineer student in an online college program?
- What types of “sweet, nutritious, glorifying fruit” can Christians bear (beyond the fruit of the Spirit) no matter what the work is?
Daily Reflections:
Read John 6:27-29 this week and answer the following questions.
Day 1 – What “food” has Jesus given you (specific honorable commands, sure promises, finished salvation, spiritual gifts, providential circumstances, current relationships, etc.) to serve His and others today? How do these help your focus on His work for you today?
Day 2 – How does the Father’s seal (His official mark guaranteeing His authority) on Jesus as your mediator build your confidence in His work for you? What kinds of “work” require your confidence in Christ because you cannot do those works yourself?
Day 3 – Given the context of John 6, what motivated many in the crowd to ask “what must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (see verses 1-15 and 22-26) In what areas of your life are you pouring too much time, money, effort, or other resources into things that perish, spoil, fade, and disappoint?
Day 4 – How does resting in Christ (believing in Him whom God has sent) free us from trying to work our way to God? How does resting in Him free us and strengthen us to love Him and others?
Day 5 – Knowing that this world (including our body) is under the curse but the spirits of God’s people are forgiven and being recreated, what can we expect in any future work in this world? Why must our rest in Jesus (not our work) be our purpose and hope?
Submitted by CH. Jeff Dillard[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”single solid” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”10px” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_6″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
[/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Welcome to Monday Minute With God. A place to start the week right and tools to keep you in the Word all week long.
This month we will spend time reflecting on hearing God’s Guidance in four main areas:[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]This week’s author: Chaplain Jeff Dillard
The Lord Jesus has been growing Jeff and Lauren Dillard through great challenges and greater joys since they married in 1995. They have four children and two grandchildren. He is currently a Command Chaplain at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]
Work/Ministry/Marriage/Parenting.
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