Living In The Light

July 23, The Work That God Approves

‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
—Matthew 25:23 LL 217.1

When you realize that the eye of God is constantly upon you, for your good, you will say in everything I will do my best, that the Lord may write concerning me, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:23). This is true in temporal matters. Into every action of life we are to weave faithfulness and loyalty, cultivating the attributes that will enable us to do this work. He who thus works from principle will find his reward, for those who can correctly estimate faithful service will say, “Come up higher. I want you to take charge in a place of greater responsibility.” . . . LL 217.2

Negligent, slothful work is not so great an offense against men and women as against God. By doing it, you are forming your character for unfaithfulness. The only right way to do is to do all to the glory of God. Take no human being as your criterion. Let no human voice lay down the limit of your duty. One human being may have a lawful authority over another, and may rightly inspect his work. But every worker is to look beyond the human to the divine, to Him who rules in the heavens, whose eyes behold all the works of our hands. The Lord has called us to be His servants in all things, and no unfaithful work will bear the signature of“well done” (Matthew 25:21). LL 217.3

While we are in this world, we must secure the bread that we eat by the sweat of our brow. Many are inclined to divorce temporal business from spiritual service. Many think that the time devoted to temporal things is lost. They think that if they could devote their time wholly to religious duties, they would be much more fervent and earnest in religious things. But Christ has left us no such example. He was a true worker, in temporal as well as spiritual things, and into all He did, He brought a determination to do His Father’s will. It is not God’s intention that the business of life shall stand still, that all duties shall be regarded as unimportant but the ministry and the lines of work embraced by the ministry. To every man and woman God has given their work, according to his or her several ability.— Manuscript 84, 1897. LL 217.4

Further Reflection: : If God is your boss, how should you do your work? LL 217.5