#TuesdayTruth 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

1 Corinthians 15:57-58

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.”

Life in this fallen world is messy. It is difficult. It can feel “clumsy.” It is full of unknowns- situations that we do not know how to handle, circumstances that we did not see coming, and outcomes that we could never predict. It is flat-out exhausting at times.

However, I would encourage you to remember that this world is not our eternal home, and, as the verse of this week says, our eternal victory has been won. This is not because of anything that you or I did, but because of our Heavenly Father’s grace and mercy.

Now, what can we glean from these verses as we navigate the rocky, uncertain terrain of this world?

Stand firm. As I said before, life gets hard, but we have EXACTLY what we need to stand firm. I doubt that it is any coincidence that this is the same instruction that God gave to one of the kings in the Old Testament as he faced a vast army, (2 Chronicles 20:17)- there, He specifically told the king that he would not have to fight that battle at all, but instead should just stand, not be afraid, and watch God give His people the victory. (Sound familiar?)

Do not let anything move you. NOTHING, because nothing is worth moving us away from our good, good, Father. Unfortunately, we, as humans, have this tendency to “drift,” especially when times are hard and if our anchor is not secure. I know, for me personally, that when I am confused or feeling anxious, the only thing that draws me out of that “slimy pit” is HIM (Psalm 40:1-3)- drawing near to Him, praising Him and thanking Him for all He has ALREADY done for me.

Commit to His work and give it your all. Have you ever heard that Mark Twain quote- “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life?” I completely agree with that, but, in this context, I would like to propose an alternate way of looking at work- Know that there is a higher call on your life than what your day to day may look like, and fully commit to making famous the love and gift of the One who loves you most. That way work no longer feels like work. It becomes a mission, and a mission in which you KNOW you will succeed.

This also brings to mind another verse that we love to quote. Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” He is not asking for perfection, but for our hearts.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the victory. Thank you that you do not require anything of us to win that victory. Thank you for the simple instructions to stand firm and commit to your work. Thank you most of all that your power is made perfect in our weakness.

We love you Father, Amen.