1 Cor 4:9-13 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
Do you know the word 'Résumé' is French that simply means 'Summary'? The same word in English without those accents mean something entirely different. Well, the same could be true when we think of our Professional Résumé and Spiritual Résumé!
WHAT...a spiritual Résumé? Yes. As crazy as it sounds, have you ever thought about making one? What would you write if God is the hiring manager? What will you highlight or boast about? How would you articulate and what would you accentuate to show you are the perfect fit for what God is looking for?
Yeah, I know. Its crazy and drove me nuts to even think. I ended up with a blank after an hour but deeply humbled, needless to say. But, the thought process taught me something invaluable as to what I consider as valuable qualification in the world means nothing in the spiritual realm. What I considered as MVP skill in the professional realm was of no use in spiritual realm! It opened my eyes to realize how far I still need to go as a Christian, to learn, to pray and to wait upon the Lord! Mind blowing!
Does that mean all our work, family, friends, social are a waste of time with no meaning or purpose for eternity? Heck no! Remember, it was God who created work (Gen 2:15). God did not bring Adam and Eve to the garden and ask them to just chill, but tend and keep it. Garden had everything natural as God created but Adam and Eve created in His image had the Supernatural, Spiritual encounter with God. I can imagine Adam and Even longing for the cool of the day when God would walk over to be with them.
Making a living, leading a honorable, respectable life, establishing family, working hard to provide for them, friendship, fellowship, Church, all are part of God's equation of life. That's why Paul writes in 1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
God did not want 'worship robots' literally doing nothing but that. But he wanted us to honor and worship Him in and through all that we do, all of life including work especially when we are in the secular world. When we surrender do our work as we do unto Him, God establishes our thoughts (Pro 16:3) to sow in the right place for greater yield materially and spiritually. , This is counter-intuitive to the world. World advises to think and act, God asks us to surrender and act, that's the Christian way. At the end, Professional or Spiritual, it is the Lord who enables us to earn wealth (Deut 8:18). It is the Lord who rewards us with His inheritance (Col 3:23-24). So, do not take the life we live in the secular world for granted.
I imagine that 1 Cor 4:9-13 at the top is a reflection of Paul when trying to write his spiritual Résumé! He realizes that there is nothing in him that he has not received. Everything he owns belongs to Christ and there is nothing Paul can boast about! This leads Him to boast in His sufferings for Christ! This gave Paul a mindset to handle the trails and temptations in his life.
Yes, the world may not hire someone with that sort of a Résumé. But, the very fact that today in 2023, I am writing about an obscure, unattractive, ordinary man Paul who rocked the world for Christ, and you are reading it in itself is a testament for the extraordinary things God accomplished through the ordinary man Paul! Everything we do in this world has a plan, place and purpose dearly beloved. Without boasting, with humility, do it all unto HIM alone (Col 3:23). You'll see HIM establish your thoughts and make the hard work of your hand prosper and yield.
Blessings for the day and week ahead!
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