A Worthy Life

“And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." Acts 20:22-24

The boss man's arrival on the job site was normally followed by several barked instructions which would typically be changed two or three times before taking his next breath. He was a no-nonsense, "we gotta job to do" kind of guy. I learned many wonderful lessons from him during those college summers shoveling asphalt. One of which, very simply, was "Do what you're told". It's amazing how many people simply drop the ball on their assignments. With the boss man, you either figured it out right away or you were invited to go home ... with your ears ringing ... and to stay there never to be asked back.

Paul, in our verses for the day, expressed this same attitude. He was adamant, come hell or high water, he was going to finish his assignment. He went so far as to say, "my life is worth nothing" if he failed at this work: telling others about God's love. Very few of us reach that level of intensity regarding our assignments. Perhaps it's time to revisit what it means to claim to be a follower of Jesus.

Jesus had an assignment too ... Die for the sins of the world. That's kind of intense. Yes, but it was also kind of important. Today, Jesus has assignments for all who claim to believe in him. If not, we wouldn't be here. Completing those assignments is what it means to "lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven." It's what it means to build on the foundation of faith in Jesus with, "gold, silver and precious stones." It's what it means to live a worthy life.

Grace and Peace,

Tom Wiles
tom@fallcreekchristian.org

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