Brandon Neil Richards

A recent post by Rick Warren entitled, Serving From the Heart and a recent video at TED.com from Mike Rowe of 'Dirty Jobs' brings up a similar but differing concepts of work. Which one is right?

I've heard it all my life, " Figure out what you love to do -- that which God gave you a heart for -- and then do it for his glory!" and I'm sure you have too. I believe these kind of statements leave people, especially Christians in what I call suspended animation. They never do anything because they don't know what to do and expect to find work they enjoy. In essence it creates a type of 'Spiritual Welfare' where we expect God to highlite and ...insert angelic music here... a golden path to which we walk and have it easy.

This is not the life you're expected to live:

Genesis 3:17-19 we have an account of the what the curse of sin brought upon man.

17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

But even before this we find that man was given work to do in taking care of the garden.

This is an area that I believe misleads a lot of people. Mixing work with calling is a very delicate subject. On one hand a person is called to do something they wouldn't normally do.

Numerous biblical examples of this.

Paul to make tents when his passion was to preach the Gospel.
Noah to build an ark and become a zookeeper, when he was a winemaker
Joseph to be a slave and leave his family, when he was the favored son of his father and wanted to stay home.
Moses to return to Egypt as liberator of his people, rather than stay away and forget his past.
Jonah to go to Ninevah, he even tried to run from his prophetic duties, but went whether he wanted to or not. He had to be made to submit.
Jesus the carpenter, when He was called to die for the sins of the world… you don’t think he wrestled with it? He did so much that he asked for the cup to be removed if possible.

Most certainly they were called, and most certainly none of them enjoyed it.

Work for work’s sake, there is nothing wrong with menial jobs, or hard work. Where in the Bible does it state that we have to enjoy work? Or do work that makes us happy? Sure if you can find it, do that, but if you can’t… work, and any work will do.

I believe its time for this lie to cease, spiritual welfare isn’t going to happen. Work or don’t eat. Its that simple. If you work, you will eat. Physically you will be satisfied. Work and do the work as if Jesus is your boss, you will be satisfied and blessed. Go to work and give - rather then get, and you will be given blessings, so much that you can’t contain it all.

I’ve been wrestling with this whole concept for about a month. There are times where I do not enjoy my work, there are times when I want to quit and walk away. Its in these weak moments that you’ll often hear, the concept of ‘work you enjoy’. Mainly from people who have never enjoyed their work- hoping you will. Or from spiritual leaders who think or have forgotten because of their elevated platform of influence what it is to be man and work the land.

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Many years ago, I had a friend die in a tragic drowning accident. He was friend to many people. I heard the news from my own brother and I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. My mind raced with scenarios and images of my friend somehow surviving. My faith was he was still alive somehow. I found myself trying to convince others to believe and have faith that he was somehow still alive.

The truth was, he really was dead. Those that were with my friend when he disappeared into the water knew the truth, they didn’t wonder or imagine crazy, fantastic scenarios because they saw it happen. He wasn’t trapped in an underwater cavern as I envisioned. He wasn’t superhuman and still alive- searching for a way out. He was really dead. He was held by underwater currents and had drowned. The divers who pulled him out of the depths of the water current saw firsthand the truth and even felt the strength of the current that took his life. The revelation of this truth to his friends and family was crushing, devastating. All I could do was weep and lash out at the devil for killing one of my friends.

In John 20:24-31, we have a glimpse of a man, Thomas, who was being told by his closest friends that Jesus ‘is alive!’ That the Jesus who was recently murdered, the Jesus he knew personally and had hung out with was alive again. The rumor was fantastic, but Thomas didn’t believe it.

Here’s how it happened, “So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe [it].”

Eight days later…

“Eight days later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though they were behind closed doors, and stood among them and said, Peace to you! Then He said to Thomas, Reach out your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place [it] in My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but [stop your unbelief and] believe! Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.”

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend. I found myself telling him all the things God was doing around and in me. He told me he is encouraged and likes to hear that God is moving in someone’s life because it gives Him hope and encourages Him that God will do the same for Him. Our conversation changed to those who really know the Lord and those who know of Him. Those who know Him- hang out with Him and experience Him start talking like Him, sounding like Him, thinking like Him, acting like Him. Those who know about Him only know what someone else says about Him. Their faith is based upon the relationship others have or the rumors of Him they hear.

It really is true, let me give you some examples:

Most people have heard about Jesus healing the sick from the Bible, some have heard about Jesus healing people even today. They know Christ heals people. You can ask anyone, Do you believe God can heal the sick? Most will say yes he can and its based upon something that happened to someone else or something they’ve read about in the Bible. The story, the rumor is that Jesus can heal the sick.

Most people have heard that Jesus died for their sins on the cross and that they can be saved from hell because of it. You can ask anyone if Jesus can save them from hell? Most will say they believe God can save them because they have heard the stories, seen the movies, and they know someone else who is different now because of their faith. The story, the rumor is that Jesus can save you from eternal damnation.

Most people have heard about Jesus feeding the multitudes, they’ve heard about supernatural provision and blessing upon someone they know. You can ask anyone, Do you believe that God can supernaturally provide for you and bless you. Most will say yes because they’ve heard the stories, they’ve read the book, they’ve given their ‘seed’, and they know someone who has been blessed and ‘survived’ somehow.

Now ask the very same people if God will do those things for them, right now and their hesitation, response, the incredulous look in their eyes will tell you what you need to know.

The truth is that most don’t get healed, most don’t get saved, most live defeated lives because they know Jesus does these things, but what they don’t realize He IS all these things. Jesus is Healing. Jesus is Provision. Jesus is Savior. That’s who He is, not what He does. What He does is tell the Father at your request through prayer, who He is, and the Father sees us for who we are, His son. I mean we’re the body of Christ! We even have His blood, we have His power, we have His name, we have His authority! We are sons of the living God!

Is your perception, “God will do it for someone else, but He may or may not do it for me?” When was the last time you stood and spoke to the living Jesus? When was the last time you held his hand and felt the flesh that was torn by the weight of your sin upon Him? When was the last time you reached into His side and felt the heart that was pierced for you?

Like my friend who was held underneath the water by the strong current and drown. Are you finding yourself overwhelmed, drowning by the trials and circumstances of life? Are you being held, constrained in your relationship, your life because you’ve only believed in the rumors of God and never really known Him? How is it that you really know Him?

God desires us to know Him in a new way everyday. He’s a deep guy and you could spend the ages trying to learn everything about Him and who He is.

Our faith is not meant to be a six degrees of faith in Jesus Christ phenomenon, but a real relationship with Him. One of the ways we get to know Jesus is through prayer. Next time you’re alone ask yourself: Jesus, is what I believe about you based upon rumors?, Is it based upon only what I’ve heard about you? Do I believe you ARE vs you will? Do I believe things that aren’t true about you? Do I really know you? Just ask for a revelation of Him, so that you can know for yourself who He is. And if you would, why not tell Him you want to know Him more, and hang out with Him more, then begin to do it by praying, sitting quietly, reading His word and listening, just talk to Him throughout your day.

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Ever wondered to yourself, "What has God called me to do?" I've spent a lot of years trying to figure it out and a lot of wasted time doing things that maybe I shouldn't have.

I don’t know about you but my thinking was to find what I think He has called me to accomplish and do that.
If I had only understood that God has called me to be transformed into the image of Christ, to be who He has called me to be, then I would have no choice to do what I was called to do.

Romans:

28We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

There are two requirements for all things to work together for good.

1) love God - How do you know if you love God?

John 14:15 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

2) be called according to His design and purpose. - What is His purpose?

Pastor Wendell Smith of the City Church in Seatle puts its this way:

“We tend to think of destiny and achievment, as accomplishments stuff to do. But God thinks of destiny as “who you are to be.” And if He could just get you to be who you are called to be, then you would do what you are called to do.”

“If he could just get you to be an apple tree, you’d bare apples.”

We have it backwards, we think what we produce is what we are, rather God sees it as what we are is what we produce.

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