Smart People Follow the Instructions

We have been looking at 2 Corinthians 5:9: "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him".

The word "that", reveals THE NATURE of our labors for the Lord. It is such an ordinary, common word, but in analysis tells us so much!

We can be busy and not get anything, or at least, not much, of value accomplished. The idiom that comes to mind is "spinning our wheels", and those of us who live in snow country see it happen every winter. When spinning ones wheels, there is much racket, but no movement or progress.

Many people equate being in a hurry as getting something done - that rushing here and there is somehow speeding up a process. The adage that "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get" impresses our minds, and all of us, at one time or the other, have verified the "haste makes waste" proverb.

The valid point here is that we church workers do well to consider in "what" we invest our lives? Paul did. We do this best by spending time alone with God on our knees and faces to discover what His "agenda" is for us.

It is a matter of constantly going back to "the plan"; the blueprint; the instruction sheet; the schematic; or the manual. I frequently watch my Deloris crochet (how can I help but...?) - with the instruction book or sheet right there in front of her...constantly checking it for the step-by-step instructions. Smart people follow the instructions.

We want our Christian lives to count. We want our building to last. We want our labors to be exactly like the pattern. We want to reap a good harvest. We want to run a worthy race. We want to win the crown. We want to win our battles. We want to ace our tests.

So it is important for us to keep checking with our Lord to make sure that our labors are the kind He has in mind for us. I term this "living in tandem" with God's plans. It is important to work, to labor, in Christ's church, but more important to be engaged in the program that the Holy Spirit has in mind for us.