The Job and the Benefits

I have taught my son's that every title comes with a job description.   My job as a parent is to encourage my children to become their best selves, and to show them the love of God through Christ Jesus in my daily life.  Check out my blog The Power of the Example to see my mommy covenant that I made for my sons.  My children's job is to listen to, learn from, and obey their father and me.  I have them quote Ephesians 6:1 if they seem to be forgetting that. Their job as brothers is to be good examples and with their lives to encourage their siblings to do what Mom and Dad have said; age doesn't matter.  I've seen the youngest children leading the older ones.  Age doesn't matter, obedience and wisdom does.

     1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us to abound in the work of the LORD, but what is the job of the Christian?  I love my children's church scripture  1 Timothy 4:12. This scripture as well as the following verses is a wonderful description of the job of the Christian.

1 Timothy 4:12-16
     12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

If I were to summarize this, I would say that these verses tell us to be careful to keep every part of our being moving toward God's perfect will for our lives, and to invite others to do the same.  This is the job of every person who declares that Jesus is LORD.  I encourage everyone one of us to do the job that God has given us.

In John 9:4 Jesus explain the urgency of doing the job that God gave him. He said "4I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  We should be of the same mind.  We are the salt and light of the world as Jesus was when he was here.  Let's be about our job and understand that God's job comes with benefits!  

Psalm 103

1{A Psalm of David.} Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.