Are You Working Alone?

Are You Working Alone? Loving God, part XL

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This is it! This is the last installment of the Loving God series, I hope you enjoyed it!

I want to focus on the work He’s given us and how we do it.

So what work do we have to do? Read these verses carefully:

Luke 13:  22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.

John 6: 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”  28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”  29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus was talking to the general public in both of these passages, not just His chosen twelve. I take this to mean that, at the very least, we should be working hard to seek eternal life. I don’t think this is something that should ever stop.

So how do we do this work? If we know that God/Jesus is the only One who can offer eternal life, then where do we seek it? It’s not a trick question. You got it, the only Book that God takes credit for writing, the Bible!

John 17: 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Reading and careful study of His Word with prayer is the best way to get to know Him. Asking others is a good way too, but make sure that they are in the Word as well or you could easily be led astray.

I know that there are many things that God can ask of us, but I believe that this is one task that is common to all of us. It is this task that leads us into all truth and establishes a growing relationship with and in Christ.

Here is another passage that I think relates and it was directed to just the 12 disciples:

John 15:   “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

To summarize, our work consists of seeking eternal life and remaining in Him. This is at the very least.

Have you ever been given a job to do that took a long time and you started out doing it alone? Then eventually someone is told to work along with you? Wasn’t it nice to have someone share in the work?

It causes me to think of this verse:

Genesis 2: 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

I believe the part that says :”It is not good for the man to be alone.” not only applies to needing a partner in marriage but in life in general.

This verse reinforces the idea:

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.

Just as this states that we are sharpened by a friend, I think it implies that we are dull without a friend.

Of course, Jesus knew this as He sent them out in pairs:

Luke 10: 1 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.

Luke 22: 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

Here are examples of the early church imitating what Jesus did:

Acts 13: 4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.

Acts 17: 10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

They even wrote letters together:

2 Thessalonians 1: 1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What do these verses mean to you? Are you doing work for God in a vacuum? Are you reading the Bible and not discussing what you’re reading with anyone? Do you have someone in your life that will challenge you and raise your standards?

The philosophy of the Lone Ranger is not compatible with God’s plan for our life. We were designed to work together with others. If there is no one working along with you, then you might consider praying about who you could meet with or ask God to send someone to you.

Will you work with someone?

“Dear Lord, thank you for the friends you put in my life. Help make it clear to me what my work is and provide someone for me to do it with. I know that your faithful love endures forever and you’ve designed me to work with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Photo by Nicolas Cool on Unsplash



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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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