58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Paul concludes a very long discussion concerning the resurrection with those words. There is coming a day, he says, when what we have done for Jesus will prove to have been worth it all. Between you and me and the fence post, today is not that day.
As I write this on Wednesday, I am in need of the encouragement this verse affords. Seems like a lot of our efforts are fruitless. The lack of interest in what we do, the lack of response, all seem to point to futility on our part. Kind of a What’s the point? feeling.
Elijah felt that way one time. He ran into a cave and went to sleep. An angel came to his aid and sent him on a different mission. Well, absent a cave and an angel it looks like I’m going to have to do a David and encourage myself in the Lord.
Being a Word guy I pondered what scripture might serve the purpose.
And I recalled the above verse. Mostly the last part of it.
Your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I have been meditating on that for a while. Thought I would write about it and maybe encourage someone else in similar circumstance in my audience.
Since the Holy Spirit reassures me that all I do has a Purpose! then I must move accordingly. I must be stedfast. That is hedraios in the Greek which signifies the following:
1. Sitting, sedentary
Now that does not seem to produce much excitement, does it?
But that is what I like about the Greek, which is the original New Testament language. Preachers like to refer to the Greek and I remember as a young man wondering why that was so. As the original language it offers at times many nuances of meaning for a word or phrase and the same can be translated a different word depending on the context. In this case this is the actual Greek word used.
But the word goes on to have a deeper meaning.
2. Firm, immovable, steadfast, in the N. T. metaphorically, of those who are fixed in purpose. Ah I like that word purpose. So we go from sitting and sedentary. It is not about a posture. It is about a mindset.
Fixed in purpose! Someone has said, Obstacles are what you see when you lose sight of the goal. Obstacles are like tribulations. In the world we will have them. We must not forget why we started on the journey. Defeat the obstacles and tribulations, the doubters, out last them, and we must not move from our purpose. Plans may be tweaked, methods may evolve, but we remain fixed, seated, yes, sit on it, as it were, in regard to our purpose. Another great someone said, The main thing is that the main thing remains the main thing.
Ok now we look at unmoveable.
Ametakinetos, Greek, not to be moved from its place, unmoved. Metaphorically, firmly persistent. First, fixed in purpose, and now firmly persistent. In English persistent is defined as:
Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition, continuing to exist or endure over a prolonged period.
Key word here is continuing. Enough said here.
And finally: always abounding.
Always. Arise every day to the mission.
Abounding: Greek, perisseuo, to be pre-eminent, to excel.
Mediocrity is unacceptable.
In the work of the Lord.
Oh wait. Work? -PJF-
Purpose! Ministries
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