Work matters (5)
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9.23
Set to serve?
We have been arguing the point that work matters—all our work. The work we’ve been given to do is greater than the job at which we work. We must honor God with our labor in the marketplace; but we must also seek to bring glory to Him in the stewardship we exercise over His good and perfect gifts and the work we do seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
The gift of time is given to us in the Kingdom economy so that we might devote ourselves, as Jesus did, to doing the work the Father has appointed to us. It was by His work that Jesus glorified the Father, and it is by our works that we may expect to do the same.
The biggest struggle that we’re going to encounter in seeking to pursue our work across all its many and varied fronts is the temptation to want to live for ourselves rather than for others and for the Lord. Jesus glorified God with the work He accomplished, and that work was, above all else, a work of serving God by serving others (Phil. 2.5-11). In taking up the work assigned to Him by the Father, Jesus denied Himself, became a servant to all, and in that role obeyed whatever God gave Him to do, even to the point of death.
Jesus came to earth to bring near the Kingdom of God by serving others. And He said that, as the Father had sent Him into the world, so He was sending us (Jn. 20.21).
We have been sent to serve others, to set our own selfish interests aside and to work day by day at bringing the reality of Christ and His Kingdom to others (cf. Jn. 13.1-15; Mk. 10.42-45).
This is the work of the cross, our cross, the cross Jesus has assigned to each one.
Dying to self
Wow! We might think, Well, hey, if I’m devoting myself all the time to looking out for others’ needs, who’s going to be looking out for mine?
The Lord, of course, because He knows what you need even before you ask Him, and He has ways of meeting your needs that are more wonderful than you in your cleverness or strength could ever conjure or provide (cf. Matt. 6.25-34). He will even use others who are denying themselves and taking up their cross as the means through which He demonstrates His pastoral care and provision for you.
We are to be like Jesus, in that upper room with His disciples, where He washed their feet. We must be willing to take up the work that no one else seems willing to do, if it will bring the reality of the Kingdom economy near to those around us, for the honor and glory of the Lord.
This is the work of the cross—the work of dying to self, laying down your life for others, paying attention to their needs, and doing what you can to help. The work of the cross is simply being Jesus to the people around you, ready to speak a word or take up a work that will manifest the hope within you and bring honor and glory to God.
The work of the cross defines the character and purpose of all our other work. It is the way of discipleship, the way we follow Jesus.
Taking up our cross
This work of the cross begins in prayer, as we faithfully bring before the Lord the people to whom He sends us each day in our personal spheres. In prayer we may prepare for serving others by setting our heart, mind, and conscience to the work of the cross, and devoting our time and work to the Lord for His Kingdom (Ps. 90.12, 16, 17).
The work of the cross proceeds by our being good listeners (Jms. 1.19), paying attention to the words, feelings, body language, and obvious needs of others. It means learning how to use our tongue not just to hear ourselves talk, but to build others up in affirming ways. The work of the cross means looking for little ways to aid, encourage, and edify others, and it means being always consistent in such efforts. It may even require greater, more costly works of us, but if we are faithful in the small, daily works of cross-bearing, we’ll be well prepared for whatever greater sacrifices may be required.
The work of the cross requires ongoing preparation, conversation, and willingness to demonstrate the love of Jesus to the people we meet each day. We must think ahead, look near, and aim small in what we undertake. If all we ever do is conjure large plans and noble undertakings, we’ll look right past opportunities to show the love of Jesus that He has strewn in our path. If we are faithful in the small things Jesus gives us to do, He will entrust many more to us (Matt. 25.21, 23).
The work of serving others embodies the sacrifice of Jesus, declares the new life we have in Him, and touches others with the grace of His Spirit. No wonder Jesus, in calling us to follow Him, demanded that we take up our own cross daily!
The work we do on our jobs, together with our work of stewardship and sanctification, must issue in the kind of serving, caring, nurturing outreach to others that puts them first, exhibits our faith and hope in the Lord, and brings glory to Him in the everyday details of our lives.
Following Jesus means taking up the work of the cross. This is where we will find full and abundant life in Him (Matt. 16.25).
For reflection
1. What does it mean for you to be a servant to the people in your family?
2. How would your work at your job be enhanced if you took more of a cross-bearing approach to it?
3. What would you describe as the key skills any servant should master? Why these?
Next steps—Demonstration: How will you demonstrate the cross-bearing life to the people around you today?
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Men’s Reading and Study Groups. This fall we are offering seven free online reading and study groups for men. Click here for more information.
Other columns of interest this week: This week in our Read Moore we begin selections from our book, Understanding the Times. This book will be a valuable companion to our study of “The Kingdom Economy.” In our Crosfigell column we’re following Brendan, a 6th century Irish saint, as he pursues the Kingdom economy in his extraordinary adventures. On Monday our daily Scriptorium column begins a new series on the book of Ephesians. Click The Scriptorium tab to read the first installment on Monday. Use the subscription panel at the bottom of the home page to update your subscriptions.
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
