Stand Firm & Stay Focused: It’s the Lord’s Work

Less than a year into our first ministry I had a brief exchange with the senior pastor. My husband had been welcomed as the associate pastor and we were thrilled to gain experience and wisdom as we learned from seasoned leaders. The senior pastor and I were both seated around the table when a visiting pastor asked him if they intended to move away now that my husband had been hired. I have the affliction of speaking my mind, so I was quick to blurt out, “Don’t even think about it! We can pack up faster than you!” (Without four children and chickens I knew we could make a run for it in a hurry!) I was trying to be playful, but I think the truth in my statement came through clearer than the humour; the notion of being abandoned sent my gut into a “fight/flight” response. In hindsight, while I wanted to be invested in this new local church, I was incredibly nervous to be left alone to carry the burden. We were only 24 years old with our first infant and all our head knowledge from Bible school had yet to be tested. Eight years later my terror has subsided, but we also know firsthand the load that comes with serving in vocational ministry.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains the significance of Christ’s resurrection and the victorious resurrection of those who are in Christ. At the end of chapter 15 Paul gives a “so then” exhortation, “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,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Stand firm.

As fellow women in ministry you know that “the work” is hard. In this verse Paul reminds the Corinthian church that the work belongs to the Lord. That means it’s Jesus, the risen Lord, who is leading the charge. Kingdom living is taxing and unrelenting most of the time, but the ultimate responsibility does not rest on your family’s shoulders. We can all sleep at night. And then when we wake up again, we can serve “steadfast and immovable.” 

Stay focused. 

There have been days when I’ve questioned the usefulness of everything I’ve done. The work God has put before me is regularly mundane and repetitive, but I can resist the lie that it’s pointless. The bedrock foundation of the Gospel gives you and me clarity and conviction about why we labour. Know that “in the Lord” your works of faith are surely useful! 

Take heart. 

You do not labour alone. God will not abandon you on His own mission. Once you’ve let that sink in, then stay focused and “stand firm” (NIV) on the truth that Jesus is the resurrected Lord. It’s in His authority, with His power, and in His presence that you labour.