As a very young believer during my college years, a friend challenged me with this scripture. He was emphasizing the phrase always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Back then I interpreted that as meaning keep sharing the good news of the gospel with your friends and family; keep leading a Bible study; keep being a Christian do-er.

At that point in my Christian journey, those understandings may not have been incorrect, but they were not totally correct either. They communicated to me that abounding in the work of the Lord was up to me and my activities.

I was ignoring the context of this verse. I was ignoring the rest of the words in this verse. Recently my son, Jeff, helped me to understand the grace that God is communicating through I Corinthians 15:58.

Karen & Me

A few months back, I invited a new friend from church to go out for coffee together. We shared about our families; we shared our journeys; we talked about our involvement in church. We parted ways and I heard the whisper, Sue, you are a no-longer! Ouch!

I was feeling less-than, a no-longer because of my current involvement in church, or rather lack of involvement. I was defining involvement as teaching Sunday school, or singing in the choir (which you wouldn’t want me doing), or leading a Bible study, or … You know those things that are easily understood.

I Corinthians 15 is all about Jesus’ resurrection. And because of the resurrection my faith is not in vain, and the works I do as a believer are not in vain.

Knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Paul is reemphasizing an earlier verse. “And if Christ had not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (verse 14)

But Christ has been raised!! “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,” (verse 20)

Paul’s words to the Thessalonians are greatly encouraging.

“So, being affectionately desirous of you,
we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God
but our own selves,
because you had become very dear to us.”
I Thessalonians 2:8 (italics mine)

Could it be, that a word of encouragement to the person next to me in the pew is the the work of the Lord?
Could it be, that when I share a struggle with another, then that is the work of the Lord?
Could it be, that a brief affirmation of what I’ve observed is the work of the Lord?
Could it be, that initiating toward our GRANDS is the work of the Lord?
Could it be, that inviting another in for dinner is the work of the Lord?

Could it be that living out who God created me to be is the work of the Lord? If so, then these labors are not in vain. Then I am not a no-longer.

Eugene Peterson’s rendition of I Thessalonians 1:4-9 encourages. God not only loves you very much, but he has his hand on you for something special. Your life is echoing the master’s words.

Living out who God created us to be is the work of the Lord.
And this work is never in vain!

“But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace toward me was not in vain.
On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them,
though it was not I,
but the grace of God that is with me.”
I Corinthians 15:10

copyright: Sue Tell, October 2022