"Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God."
Revelation 3:2 (NIV)
Deeds matter! We have work to do, brother and sister, and our Lord calls us to wake up and be about His business. Our Lord taught us in Matthew 20 that we are like labourers hired for work in a vineyard. We are saved for work, not saved by works. A labourer sweats and struggles. A labourer doesn’t know the big picture; they aren’t filled in on the inner-workings and thoughts of those in the ivory tower. They have a specific role to play and they do it. In our 21st century economy, a labourer is the lowest paid employee in the company, and many field labourer jobs have to be filled by off-shore workers, because Canadians won’t stoop to the task.
In the kingdom, we are all labourers and we all receive the same wage personally paid out by the Lord on the day we meet Him. What a wonderful day that will be when our labour is over and we see Him face to face and He gives us our reward! But until that day comes, our Lord calls us to WAKE UP and keep working. Many of us grow weary and weak; some of us grow cold and apathetic. Some of us have been working in the kingdom for a long-long-long time, and want a break. Some of us protest like the labourers did in our Lord’s story and question the fairness of the different lengths of work periods.
Friend, our Lord calls some of us earlier in our lives than others. Some He calls while they are on their deathbed, and the only deed they do is trust Him, but others, like Peter, pour their entire lives out for His kingdom. Friend may we hear our Lord’s voice as He tells us: WAKE UP – FINISH the WORK I have given you!
We used to sing “Joy in Serving Jesus”; haven’t sang it for years, but there is a lot of truth in its words:
There is joy in serving Jesus - Joy amid the darkest night
For I've learned the wondrous secret - And I'm walking in the light
There is joy, joy - Joy in serving Jesus
Joy that throbs within my heart - Every moment, every hour
As I draw upon His power - There is joy, joy
Joy that never shall depart
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