Devotional--Work, Part II

Ephesians 4:1-13

  I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

  But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

  The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

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    In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to lead a life worthy of our calling.  I'm intrigued by the language he uses, and think there is something that we can learn from this encouragement.  I think we can learn to look at our calling, whatever it may be, in a different light.

  Can we look at our calling, our work, as an opportunity to bring honor to it?  When we lead the life Christ calls us to lead, when we live with integrity and honor, working hard so that Christ is glorified through us, we have the ability to bring some transformation to our work.  I think about people I respect who work hard, and as a result of their hard work the respect I have for them, and for their work, is raised.  People may wonder what motivates us, what pushes us to work harder, to focus more--the light of Christ shines through us in our work, and others see that.  I trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of workers, colleagues and friends, and that the Spirit will open up opportunities for us to proclaim the name of Christ.

  So let us bring honor to our work by living with integrity, leading a life worthy of our calling, and sharing the love of Christ with those who surround us.

Blessings