Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The initial target audience of the epistles were to very young believers in churches Paul had planted. Even though the bible was written with a male script, many of the instructions or guidance apply to us all. It’s not only the brothers who are expected to be steadfast, immovable and abounding but ladies also, both young and old, everyone who has surrendered their hearts to the Lord can apply this. We shouldn’t expect those who don’t know the Lord or have no relationship with God to be steadfast, immovable and abounding in God’s work as it’s the Spirit of God that supplies the grace for these
To be steadfast means that you are resolute, dutifully firm and unwavering. Paul is aware that there will be challenges and problems that will impede our ability to be steadfast. Sadly, not everyone who claims to follow the Lord is committed, consistent and intentional. If we will follow and serve the Lord wholeheartedly, we must identify anything and anyone who seeks to draw us away from the Lord. It’s easier to inconsistent and unintentional, more effort is required to be steadfast. We can’t do this on our own and must rely in the Lord to help us.
Many began this year upbeat, optimistic and confident about giving their all to the service of the Lord but with only ten days left, it almost feels like what’s the point. Paul is encouraging us to keep serving the Lord whether others are cheering us on or not, whether there are results or not, whether we feel like serving or not. If we serve God only when it’s convenient or on our terms and conditions, is our service borne out of love or duty? We’re grateful for the secret place and the mercy seat, we can go as often as we can to be refuelled.
To be immovable almost seems like being stubborn and unyielding, not allowing the opinions of others affect your service to God in any way. Some people quit when there are no results or if what they are doing for Lord isn’t trending on social media, they want to try something different if they can’t seem to make any progress. Our responsibility is to be willing and available as we serve the Lord in obedience, the harvest is really his business. While we think there might be no results, we have no clue that God’s working behind the scene accomplishing his purpose for his glory.
Always abounding in the work of the Lord implies our service to the Lord is overflowing, bountiful, generous. We are sacrificially giving of our time, finances and resources to the propagation of the gospel and the expansion of God’s kingdom. There is no greater joy than giving our all to the One who gave His all for us. And I understand that we might all be at a different stage or phase in our walk with the Lord but I want my service to the Lord to be joyful and bountiful, not my left overs, I don’t need anyone to cajole or pressure me to serve the Lord. For all the Lord has done for me, I owe him a debt I can’t repay.
Abounding in the service of the Lord is also going out of our way to look for more opportunities to be available, to be God’s hands and feet in a dying and broken world. I’m not loyal to any church and not restricting my service to the Lord to any specific denomination or ministry. As long as it is for the service of the Lord, the expansion of God’s kingdom and for His glory, I would like to offer myself. It’s also involves utilising our gifts and talents for the equipping of the church. I hope you’re in an environment that offers you the opportunity to share what God has given you with others.
Paul says ‘always abounding’. Can we really always be serving from a posture of overflow with our feelings and moods or problems and challenges? How do we keep serving the Lord when life gets overwhelming? I’ve served with several teams over the years and can confirm there’s a difference in the attitude to service when people take the initiative and joyfully offer to serve compared to when they are compelled or reminded to. I suggest Paul wants us in the former group, excited and looking for several opportunities to serve the Lord in any capacity really, great or small.
There’s a difference between abounding in the ‘work of a pastor’ and the ‘work of the Lord’. Not every good assignment is a godly assignment, let’s ensure that we are making our lives count for eternity and not building earthly monuments for ourselves. Paul leaves us in no doubt that we should be abounding in the work of the Lord. We may have our own work, our plans and ambitions but the emphasis and priority here is ensuring that we focus on what really matters. Only one life and it will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last.
Is Paul implying here that our motivation for service might be a reflection of our conviction that our labour for the Lord isn’t in vain? We don’t need to cajole or put anyone under pressure to serve the Lord, everyone will be motivated to serve for different reasons. By faith, we all step forward to serve because we know that nothing done in God’s name or for His glory will go unrewarded. And those who give their barest minimum to the Lord or none at all don’t believe that it’s worth the trouble.
How has your service to the Lord been in 2024? Have you been steadfast and consistent? Unyielding and unwavering? Abounding and generous with your time and resources? Or have we served the Lord on our own terms and only when it’s been convenient? Or maybe we have abandoned serving the Lord altogether and instead have pursued only our personal goals and ambitions? God sees our hearts and our individual motivations for serving Him and will reward accordingly.
We’ll never see the full impact of our service to the Lord on this side of eternity. Our secret, selfless and sacrificial service to the Lord may never make the headlines but we are assured that our lives are bringing joy to the Father’s heart. It’s a new year ahead, let’s retreat to the secret place daily to receive fresh strength and grace to remain consistent and unyielding, to go to the extra mile, to keep going without the cheers, to be willing, available and obedient, holding nothing back for the praise of hour name.