Co-laborers with God

A brother in Christ once told a story of when he was very ill and had to have more than one surgery. After many days in the hospital, he expressed his heartfelt gratefulness to the caregivers and thanked them for all they had done for him. Their simple and profound answer spoke to my heart: “That’s why we’re here!” 

Why am I here? Why did God place us, you and me, in this world at this period in history? The answer is simple, yet not easy: to glorify and exalt God through everything we do and speak. How can this be done? By becoming “fellow workers” or co-laborers with Him. 

God, the Almighty One, created everything by Himself through Christ Jesus. By His Word and commands, all things came into being. Yet, the Lord desires to have us earthly mortals as His co-laborers to advance His kingdom on earth. This is the highest honor and a great responsibility. We are asked to be good stewards over all God has given us. Everyone should take the assignments from the Lord seriously. 

Willingness to serve

In Philippians 2:12-13, we read: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is at work within you both to will and to do.” I think we can easily see that without the new birth in Christ, nothing of eternal value will result from our lives. Once we have repented of our sins and received the life in Christ, we are then called to an intimate relationship with God and to work under the direction of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His will. 

To be led by God in all matters is the most blessed life we can imagine. Am I willing to say “yes” to whatever God is asking of me? I think it is important to pray that the Lord gives us willing hearts and much grace to do His will every day.

Becoming humble servants of Christ

The Apostle Paul often refers to himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ.” The core meaning of “servant” is slave or bondservant. This is a person who yields all rights of his own and commits himself exclusively to the will of his master. So, as servants of Christ, we have put aside earthly pursuits and ambitions to voluntarily offer our time, talents, and gifts to Christ, the King. Without any reservations, we become devoted “to want and do” what pleases our Lord. 

The more I humble myself before my Lord, the more grace He gives to carry out His desires. As I consecrate everything to Him, He then gives strength to obey Him and fill me with His love.

As servants of Christ, we are not driven by pretension, self-importance, egotism, or vainglory. We have forsaken those things to stay in agreement with the Lord in advancing His cause – the kingdom of God.

Serving with patience

As part of our service to the Lord, it is necessary that the fruits of the Spirit, especially patience, are developed in us. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

The virtue of patience is often tested as we move forward with our service to the Lord and for His work. 

We should “wait on the Lord” with prayer and fasting. We must also remember that there are seasons to plant seeds and to reap a harvest. James wrote in chapter 5:7, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”

We should not be discouraged when our work for the Lord has not yet produced the fruit we expected. The ultimate harvest and rewards will come. In faith, we can already see how Christ gives His patient servants the joy of a great reward.

Serving in faithfulness

In our faithless society with so many broken promises, it is refreshing when God’s children stay focused on being fellow workers with God. When we keep our promises to God and others, when our “yes” or “no” mean something, and when we are dependable in words and deeds, the Lord works through us and blesses those around us. He has called us to be the salt and light of the earth. He wants us to become vessels, filled with His love and glory, to encourage the faint-hearted, and to pray for the sick, the lost, and the backslidden. He calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus. In today’s spiritual darkness and despair, pain and suffering, the Lord expects us to lend our hands and resources to bring peace, healing, and hope. 

Our hands and feet are not merely physical appendages but powerful instruments of compassion and kindness that can bring transformation into the lives of those we encounter.

Without a doubt, if the church is united and resolved to become “fellow workers” with God, and if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in whatever ministry capacity we are in, the Lord will bless our work for Him. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to give us a fresh filling and baptize us anew with God’s love and then allow His love to flow to others. We have this wonderful promise from our Lord in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

I pray for this with all my heart, that it will always be a reality in my life. As we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and continue to faithfully abide in Him, His name will be glorified and our joy multiplied. We are reminded in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Martin Kehler

Winnipeg, MB

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