Give Yourselves Fully
/Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
At this time of the year our minds and hearts are drawn toward the celebration of some very special holidays, namely, Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Thanksgiving Day we often pause to give thanks for the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us and for the people He has placed in our lives. Christmas brings the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the coming of the Son of God!
So, during the month of November I would like to focus on the word "give" and what Scripture has to say about how we are to give toward the people we serve and relate to within our lives.
In 1 Corinthians 15:58 Paul exhorts the Corinthians to stand firm in their faith, keeping their focus on the Lord. But then he goes on encouraging them to always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord. The word for giving fully simply means to be pre-eminent or to excel in what you are doing for the Lord. (Strong's Concordance) To excel at something is to do your very best and to shine or stand out in what you are doing.
What sacrifices are you making in your life to give yourself fully to the work of the Lord? Giving yourself fully to the ministry does not mean that you don't take care of yourself. Even in the midst of busy ministry times, Jesus slipped away from the crowd to be refreshed in His communication with the Father.
It does mean though that we do our best as we focus on what God has given us to do and this allows us to shine for Him in the midst of what we are accomplishing.
Giving ourselves fully can be seen:
- through our prayers for others
- through our acts of kindness toward others
- through sharing the Gospel & discipling others
- through encouraging others with His Word
- through the fruit that is produced by the Holy Spirit for all eternity
Question to think about: How will you give yourself fully to the work of the Lord especially as we enter this season surrounded by giving?
