THE LORD of the WORK

Once, a Chapter Head visited a CLP of his Unit during the 12th talk and the Dedication Ceremony.  He noticed that at the distribution of the CLP kit, some received Bibles and Glory songbooks.  The Team Leader made a special announcement that those participants who had complete attendance were awarded with a Bible and a Glory Songbook.  After the ceremony, the Chapter Head talked to the Team Leader in private about gifts or award for the attendance.  The Team Leader responded that it was a recognition of their passion and that it was in the same manner that he received a gift at his own CLP graduation.

The Chapter Head admonished that our work is not of a corporate nature but that of spiritual nourishment and that all we need to give at the Dedication Ceremony is the CLP kit; the contents of which are clearly enumerated in the CLP manual. The Team Leader reasoned out that it is not wrong to give a gift that can inspire, as it did to him.  The discussion continued with difficulties hardly reaching an agreement.

This small incident is similarly occurring in many areas of our service with the CFC, SOLD, HOLD, SFC, YFC, KFC and in our social ministries where leaders and members get into problems arising from technicalities.  So many times we were distracted, disgruntled, displeased or disturbed by lapses in communication, program, planning, or execution of the program.

We need to remind ourselves regularly that our work in the CFC is essentially pastoring that caters to the spiritual growth of the members. It is beyond any man’s capability to transform souls.  We are not putting up a show or a presentation for human satisfaction but are in this business with the Lord to serve and worship Him.  This work belongs to God.  We are only his instruments.  Yet, there is great need to distinguish and discern the difference between the Lord of the Work and the work of the Lord. Like in the example between the Chapter Head and CLP Team Leader, it shows how easy it is to confuse these two things and treat them as one and the same. Yet the difference before God is quite vast.

Our normal tendency as human beings is to seek to do the work of the Lord as our way of reaching and finding the Lord of the work.  Jesus didn’t ask us to “seek first the ministry” but rather to seek first the Kingdom of God.  Brothers and Sisters, this simply means: we are to be governed by the Lord of the Work, not the work of the Lord.

Often in our prayers, we ask the Lord to purify our intention in serving.  This is because the “work of the Lord” tends to take on a life of its own if we are not careful. We begin in the Spirit but then we use human means to perpetuate the ministry instead of discerning for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  As always, the thought and the intention may be good, but before we realize it, the work of the Lord becomes preeminent over the Lord of the Work. And sadly, we, the workers of the vineyard assume the position of the Lord of the Work.  Alas, knowingly or unknowingly, our actuations appear that we own the work!

When this happens, our pride subtly places us at the center, so that when things go wrong (as it normally does) we are personally affected, disgruntled and discouraged. The Holy Scripture provides us many reminders through the lives of our ancestors that those who owned the work of the Lord were taken out of the vineyard such as in the cases of Judas Iscariot and King Saul.

If God’s eternal purpose is for Jesus to have the supremacy over all things, then this certainly includes the work. The Lord of the Work does not change, but the work of the Lord is constantly changing and even sometimes failing for its definite divine purpose. The Lord of the Work governs the time, the place, the people, the provision, and the assignment.  All these things may change as the Lord of the Work sees fit. He sets one up and brings another down. He opens doors and closes them. He leads us to speak or bids us to remain silent.

Brothers and Sisters, this work of the Lord that we are privileged to perform through the CFC ministry is important but the purpose of our work is to exult, glorify and worship the Lord of the work.  Thus, let us seek first the Lord of the work, His words, His desire and His ultimate purpose for us and together let us OBEY what He tells us.

By Bro Bads Ellica

CFC Full Time Worker