Therefore, my beloved as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. -Philippians 2:12-18
Several years ago, Bob Goff wrote and released a book called Love Does. In it, he wrote story upon story that highlighted the power of what it means to do something because you love someone. He was writing on the belief that love forces someone to act rather than sit idle.
As Christians, we are familiar with the idea that love compelled Christ to die for us. Most of us would be able to explain several different moments in our lives when we “felt” His love, when we trusted in it, and when we chose to follow Christ because of His saving love.
When we look at the Gospels, we are able to see how the love of Christ compelled Him to continue to meet the needs of those around Him. Additionally, we can see how it affects us even now. As we look to the Epistles, we can see how the authors continued to encourage the Church to be attentive and intentional with the lives that they led. There seems to be an understanding that while Christ has done the saving work, we are encouraged to do–what I call–the responsive work.
It can be easy to lose sight of being intentional with our words let alone our actions. Life gets really busy and we get so caught up in what is “next” that we forget that the Lord wants us to enjoy whatever we find our hands to do (Eccles. 9:10). The Bible is full of expressions of that–I am thinking mainly of Ecclesiastes–and we should feel free to do what we want while being intentional in showing the love of Christ regardless of what it is (1 Thess. 4:11). Whether we find ourselves working in ministry or working in a retail shop, we are capable of working well enough to show the love and saving grace of Christ.
When we are able to understand the freedom that we have to do as we please (within reason, of course), we are able to live freer; we are able to love more freely, and, in turn, able to explain the love of Christ. We can bring people into the love of Christ, we can show them grace, and we can shine as lights in the world.
As a Christian growing up in America, it can be easy to compartmentalise our lives and think of our spiritual lives (or our ministry) as separate from everything else, but in reality, they are one in the same. We have a separation of Church and State in American but that shouldn’t be the way that we live our lives.
To be intentional is to be loving. To be loving is to be a vessel for Christ. Be encouraged. We have the means and we have the resources.
– Ashleigh Bender, Missionary Care