Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)
7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
I want to encourage everyone as I’ve spent these couple of months trying to catch up on what I’ve been doing for the Lord and the community. Praying with families who lost their job during COVID-19, praying for families who are not saved, praying for families who lost a family member up north and can’t even go to them because of the virus, praying for families who can’t afford lunches for their children, then trying to find a program that helps with that, I mean the list goes on!! Even after all the success, I had negative thoughts circling my head over and over again. I’ve spent hours battling the Lord and telling Him I’m not suited for being a director at a preschool which our main goal is to bring children and families to the Lord nor am I suited to be a children’s director at our church because I felt I wasn’t doing enough. I felt defeated.
I didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to take a pause. When God told me to go, I stopped. When God told me, you can do it. I told Him no. My heart grew bitter. I turned the other way. I couldn't handle the negative thoughts. I couldn't handle feeling tired.
During this time, I felt my life floating away in the current and my thoughts said I was ok with that. But my heart said different.
God sent me to the story of Jonah.
Jonah was a prophet. God told him to go and preach to the people of Nineveh because of their wickedness. After all the disobey from Jonah and the fish. He finally went and preached God's word. It says in Jonah 3:5 that they believed God's Message! They listened and declared a fast, repented, etc. but even after it all Jonah's heart was hard. After all the hard work Jonah did to teach thousands of people about God's mercy and love. He was mad.
Even though God used Jonah to preach God's word and Jonah saw a WHOLE NATION change!! He was still bitter.
That was me.
Here is where God lifted me up out of the current and gave me a breath of fresh air.
Jonah 4:10-11
10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly.11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,[a]not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
God revealed to Jonah that his heart was hard but also showed him WHAT HE DID JUST BY TALKING TO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH! God could of said, "Why you feel sorry for the plant and not for people?" No God said, "more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness."
He pretty much told Jonah, "Can't you see what you are doing?! You are serving for those dry bones to be awaken! For spiritual darkness to be lifted in MY Name! It's because those people are worth more to me than any plant or animal alive."
I'm not serving because I want to. I'm serving for people. It's that one sheep He is searching for. It's that lost son that He wants to embrace. It's those disciples He wants to spend a feast with. It's for the seed to plant and take root so nothing can hinder it. It's because He wants you.
So I bring you back to the scripture I place on the top of the post.
Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)
7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
My question to you is:
Are you? If so, I would like to hear about it! If not, why not? Comment below.
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