50 Weeks

By Rob Pifer

We’ve already finished up the second week of 2018, so only 50 more to go! But even though things are just getting started with a new ministry season and family routine, I’m already looking at a 2018 calendar filled with ministry events, family plans, and all things in between. “The course has been set, time to get to work, let’s do this!” is what I keep telling myself, or at least that’s the face I’m putting on. If I were to be completely honest, I’m also asking myself, “How in the world can I get all of it done?” Proper time management, good leadership, perseverance, etc. are always going to be the good go-to answers, and definitely good things to be striving for, but all of those things will be worthless unless I am looking for my strength to come from the the very person who has called me to my tasks in the first place.

I was reminded of this truth this past week as I was preparing to teach Wednesday night’s youth lesson from the first chapter of Colossians. The Apostle Paul ends the chapter in verse 29 with the following statement: “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works through me.” The energy Paul is referring to here is Christ’s energy. So basically what Paul is saying here is that in order to accomplish his task of preaching the Gospel, he’s relying on the very person who called him to accomplish the task! 

How are we to do this? Through humility, through acknowledging that the tasks before us is a grace to us, and through faith by trusting that God will accomplish His purposes through our work. 

Referring again to Colossians 1, Paul gives an example of this attitude in verse 25 when he says, “…of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given me for you, to make the word of God fully known.” As you look toward the year ahead and the many tasks before you, remember that no matter what the task is, big or small, it is a grace given to us by God to steward well for His purposes. So let’s get to work!