By Shelly Henley Kelly

 

 

 

“I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” ~  1 Corinthians 9:23 

Our calendar fills up quickly these days. A typical routine might include taking the kids to school on the way to work. After work, we hurry our children to extracurricular activities while trying to make sure everyone eats something. Maybe we toss in an odd load of laundry before heading out to an evening social gathering. The list may vary from day to day, but let’s face it, our days are repetitively full.  

What We Do

Today’s verse from 1 Corinthians, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings,” generates solemn reflection. What do we do all day? And who are we doing it for? When we’re children, we go to school to learn and better our knowledge for our future. As adults, we work, earning the resources that provide a roof over our heads and food on our table. We fall in love, marry, and have children, taking on the responsibility of raising, teaching, and providing for them. And when they’re grown and move away, we revisit the question: what am I doing and for whom? 

Drudgery

Job asks, ‘Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? We work and work, for what?” On the hard days, when everything goes wrong, it becomes easy to ask this same question about our lives. We want to know that our work is meaningful in the monotony of living day to day. If we lose our sense of purpose, we become like Job, speaking as a person without hope. We want our lives to be filled with hope. And deep down in our hearts, we know – we trust – that the Lord sustains the lowly and heals the brokenhearted. We have this hope through Christ.

For the sake of the Gospel

God appointed each of us to a purpose that allows our work in this life to serve Him. By turning our attention to the gifts, strengths, and talents that make each of us unique; we can view our daily activities as opportunities to work for Christ, to bring His hope to the world. God humbled himself in the form of man to reach us and bring us back to Him. When we consciously offer our work for the sake of the Gospel, serving others with love as Jesus did, we allow God to work through us. In this way, we share the glorious gifts we’ve received and inspire others to find, seek, and recognize God’s love and mercy. 

 

Prayer

Lord, let everything I do today be for You to encourage hope and love in this world.

Call to Action

Today, recognize that your daily work is an opportunity to bring God’s love and mercy to others.

 

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