Understand what your most important job is!
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18a)
What is your job in life? You might consider that a ridiculous question, especially within TLHA, because all your coworkers know your job title and your role. Let’s take a little more in depth look at that question.
The story is told of a man whom everyone knew as the town butcher. He was once asked what his profession was. He replied “I am a Christian.” The person who asked the question repeated it and added “I don’t think you understand me.” The butcher replied “Yes, I did, my full-time job is being a Christian, I just cut meat to pay the bills”.
We may dispense medication, do personal cares for people, deal with paper work or have some other role. Like that butcher we all share the same full time job – proclaiming the good news of Jesus to people who do not know him and are therefore spiritually poor.
Notice that we said “full time job.” We are not just Christians when we are within the walls of a facility or carrying out our role with TLHA, being a Christian is what God has called us to be and do 24/7/365. The words Jesus quotes from Isaiah in our verse for this week make it clear when we are told “he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”This is not something which we can choose to do or not to do, it is rather something God himself has chosen each of us to do.
Understand it this way. God not only chose you to be one of his instruments to share the comforting Gospel message which you know. He also put you in the place where he wants you to be for that specific purpose as well. Whether you realize it or not, God has people cross paths with you so that you have the opportunity to share your faith and the good news of Jesus as the Savior with them in your words and actions.
For many years, there has been a small sign which has sat on the corner of my desk which reads “The most important sermon preached each week is not the one which is preached in church, but rather the one which is preached in the lives of those who heard the one in church.” So as you read and ponder our Bible verse for this week, I ask you to consider and understand where God has placed you so that you can preach your “sermon.”
Understand that you are preaching a sermon all the time, whether you realize it or not. You may not think anyone is listening or watching, but people are even when you don’t realize it.
As God’s Word continues to assure us that we are forgiven sinners and as it strengthens that God-given faith “The Spirit of the Lord is on me.” May we, like Isaiah, when Jesus calls be ready and willing to say “Here I am, Lord, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).
God bless you as you preach your “sermon” and carry out your full time job!!