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Work -
We have many thoughts when we hear the word ‘work’.
What if we changed the word to ‘service’ or ‘calling’? Those may be mundane and task-based thoughts would have to shift into purposeful thoughts, wouldn’t they?
Genesis 2:15 says “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” -- From the very beginning, God called the first man to work and keep.
God placed gifts within Adam (and Eve) that He knew would be cultivated through work/service.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies -- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11 -- Now, that is a WORD. Not only did our Creator create us with the instruction to work and keep, but He also placed within each of us gifts to utilize along the way!
Our gifts were given to us to use for the benefit of others, that our Savior may be glorified through our hearts of stewardship and service. The tough part is sometimes we have a hard time identifying our gifts OR we are in a ‘work’ space that we feel does not highlight our strengths. You are not alone in this. It is important to remember that God can use you without it being evident to you. That can be a tough space to navigate, but that is where faith kicks in! As we fight to maintain obedient hearts for the will of God, we must HAVE FAITH that God is using us despite what it seems.
Understand that each of our gifts present in different ways. Scripture reminds us of that in Romans 12:6-8, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Our God is so sweet for giving us clear instructions through His spirit-breathed Word.
Ask God to gently highlight a few of your strengths this week through service.
Sabbath -
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” Exodus 20:8-10
I will be honest, for a substantial amount of time, I simply did not understand the meaning of Sabbath so I avoided it like many things we don’t understand, right? Jesus describes Sabbath in this way, in Mark 2:27-28, “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
The Sabbath is a day of REST. It is a day, a moment in time, that we should long to place all things aside to reset and re-energize in Christ! Sabbath is a day of restful-worship. In a society of constant moving pieces, Sabbath can be tough to uphold for many of us. Ask God to help you TAKE THE TIME to reset in Him this week. You need it in order to continue being the powerful vessel you are!
Prayer -
Heavenly Father, we come into your gates with praise and thanksgiving, through your Son, Jesus Christ. We boldly say Hallelujah! To You be all the glory for the gifts You have placed within us. Help us to work and REST according to Your will. Thank you for providing clear instructions on how to navigate everyday life through Your Word. We thank you for this community of power-house women who seek your face diligently! God Almighty, we love and adore you. We place our gifts and moments of rest back at your feet. In the powerful name of Jesus Our Lord, Amen.
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