Kingdom Work

Labor Day! Summer is over; let the work begin.
 
Do any of you feel that way? This often seems the way it is if we have kids in the house or we are somehow connected to the school year cycle in one way or another.
 
For me it is a mixed bag. I love the sunny warmth of summer, the long days and all the outdoor opportunities. But fall is my favorite season and I love the rhythm of a life settled in that often happens about the end of September. It also seems like it is easier to maintain connections starting in the fall.
 
Labor Day is September 5th and this holiday has often been synonymous with the end of the “vacation season” and time to get productive with WORK. I know that is an overstatement but for this brief article it helps make a point. Our “work time” in God’s Kingdom never has a vacation season. That can sound overwhelming or almost oppressive to us if we are motivated by Law instead of Gospel. Kingdom work is ultimately living out each day as being who we are with joy and grace.
 
If we look at Kingdom work as a bunch of things we need to do or rules we need to keep instead of primarily living in the confidence of our identity in God’s family we will become exhausted. There are definitely things to do and work to be done but God does something in us that brings a sense of purpose and fulfillment instead of dread or boredom.
 
Right from the very beginning, I’m talking creation, God tells us that we are made for work. This can look very different for each of us but that shouldn’t surprise us since we were lovingly and uniquely created by an exceedingly creative God. We are individually made for kingdom work that will strengthen and stretch us intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We were made to work and to rest. This is the tempo God established for our lives. It is right and good.
 
So, this holiday weekend I invite you to thank God for the gift of work in all of its various forms and to enjoy the labor that God has given you to do. This upcoming Sunday I will be focusing on God’s Kingdom Work by looking at three parables from Matthew. [20.1-16; 21.28-32; 25.1-13]
 
Remember to whistle while you work,
Pastor Nick