Section Three: The Lifestyle Characteristics of a Godly Life.

Our current theme: Characteristic Two: Serving Christ in the Workplace.                      

Our reading for today: 2^nd Timothy 2: 1-7 (MsgB)

So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen! — to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.

My mentor, Pastor John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard church movement, had a wonderful way of encouraging every Christian he knew to pro-actively involve themselves, on a daily basis, with the Kingdom ministry of Jesus. When asked about who God picks to step into this role of ministry, or as Wimber called it, “Doin’ Jesus’ Stuff”, he’d quickly reply…

Everybody gets to play!

As I see it, every follower of Christ who finds themselves reading this blog post; whether they are young or old, rich or poor, college-educated or street-smart, is called by the Master to “go and bless” those around us, giving away the good things Jesus has deposited in our lives. Using Paul’s words of encouragement to his young disciple friend, Timothy, “So, my son, throw yourself into this work of Christ.”

Sadly, over the centuries, the Church has developed the hard-n-fast concept of the “professional minister”. For most of my thirty years in pastoral ministry, I’ve tried my best, like John Wimber, to break that glass ceiling, opening up the ministry of Jesus to every person who attends our church. Looking back, I’m not sure how well we’ve succeeded at that task, but until my dying breath, I’m determined to tell you what John told us…

Everybody gets to play!

So as we close this section of our discipleship blog series, Serving Christ in the Workplace, let me echo once more that very unique call Jesus of Nazareth has placed upon your life and mine.

You, my friend, as we’ve stated earlier in this series, are God’s Plan A. And like it or not, God has no Plan B! The words and works of Jesus have now been offered to you. As one wise man says it, “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies those He calls!” Thus, the decision on whether or not you will walk in that calling, as a dedicated follower of Christ, is in your court, not God’s. His Plan A is to walk alongside you, day after day, into your workplace, and it’s your choice if you want to take advantage of that Holy-Spirit directed favor…or not!

My prayer is that you understand that call and are doing your very best to fulfill that purpose in your life. So here’s two little pieces of advice for you as we continue serving Christ in our workplaces…

First, I echo the encouragement some accredit to St. Francis of Assisi (circa 1200)…

Go out and preach the Gospel; and if necessary, use words.

Secondly, I bring to your attention, the wisdom of musician Curtis Mayfield (circa 1970)…

Keep on keepin’ on!

You see, the goal here is not to become the first man or woman to finish the race. Jesus has already done that for us. The goal, as dedicated followers of the Master, is to keep showing up, day after day, believing that it’s not the degree of effectiveness Christ is evaluating in my life, but simply, my on-going faithfulness to the task He’s given me.

Now, let’s go out and get about the business of the Lord!

My prayer: Jesus, one thing is for certain. You have commissioned us to continue Your work in this generation. I hear the call, now empower me with the Holy Spirit so I might respond faithfully, giving You my daily best. For Your name’s sake. Amen.

My questions to ponder: What will “keep on keepin’ on” look like in my life today? How might I best present the good news of the Gospel through the actions I take today with those around me?

So what is God speaking to you today as we attempt to live the Christ-centered life?

Over a thirty-six week period, you and I will take a deeper look into twelve key characteristics of a godly life. In other words, we’ll take A Journey into Christian Discipleship. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Journey home page for ease of use. ENJOY!

If you like what you’re reading, might we suggest you share this page with others!

Click here to go onto the next session in our Journey into Christian Discipleship series…

If you’ve been reading our Jesus and the Workplace series, this concludes the 9-session blog. Click here to go back to our Jesus and the Workplace homepage…