My beloved brethren. The Apostle Paul addresses us
as family-- brothers and sisters. Christians are part of a family that
cares deeply for one another. The church is the visible expression of that
caring love. And though we sometimes feel alone, we belong to the family
of God. Be ye steadfast, that is, don't always be moving around. Each of
my children, at the age of nine or ten, have come down with what my wife
and I call "tapping disease." They drum their fingers on the dinner table,
swing their feet, tap their feet. Constant motion. They don't
settle down. It can drive a parent loony. That's how I explain my own
peculiar condition.
"Be steadfast" means "be stable," "be firm." The Greek word alludes to sitting in a chair rather than pacing around-"fixed." Unmoveable, means "not to be moved from its place." Perhaps people have called you "stubborn." Now you can be stubbornly opposed to God's will.
That's bad. But you can be stubbornly, doggedly devoted to God, so that circumstances and people don't distract you from Him. That's good. Call it persistent, call it faithful. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. The word translated "abounding" means "exceeding a fixed number or measure," "over-and-above." Some people do what is expected. Others, out of love, go far beyond that. Their lives pour out and overflow. "Doing what?" you ask. The work of the Lord, is the answer. Work? "Not a good word," you say."I work five or six days a week. When I get home I just want to rest."That's understandable.
Do you have any loafers at work? You know, people who only do the minimum, and only that if the boss is looking over their shoulder. And who takes up the slack? You and the other conscientious workers. God's work is the same way. Just a few of the ways we do His work, build His kingdom here on earth, is to teach our children about Jesus at home and at Sunday school. We serve as an usher or choir member on Sundays.We encourage those believers who are down. We make a meal for a family when one of the parents is sick. A church is a caring body. But when loafers don't pull their part of the load, it falls on others to do. My sister, my brother, this is a word for you: be "always abounding in the work of the Lord." Always. Over-and-above.
Knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord Some people hate washing dishes because more dirty dishes magically appear over night. Sweeping and vacuuming are the same way. Things never stay clean. Someone is always tracking dirt on your carpet. Is there no end? You get discouraged. It's only when you consider the alternatives that you get out your Hoover vacuum cleaner and have another go at it. Your wife may not keep track of how often you change the spark plugs. Your husband has no idea of how often you have to dust. But God keeps track of our faithfulness in His work. He sees us serving Him when no one else sees. And seeing us hanging in there brings joy to his heart. Our Christian service is not done in vain for three reasons: