23 Wednesday—October 18•Produce I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. (John 17:4) The night before He was crucified, Jesus prayed to His Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus lived according to His mission, and He produced results that pleased God. Because He persevered, His life was fruitful. When my youngest son was small, he liked to imitate his older siblings. He got into building blocks before his hands were really even big enough to hold onto them. At 3 and 4 years old, he would sit for hours, creating with building blocks. When he finished, he brought his creation to his mom and me. His eyes shone with his enjoyment in what he produced. He learned a valuable lesson very early. Fruitfulness doesn’t come from throwing a little momentary effort at something and then walking away. I know guys who volunteer one day at church for a big event, and they think they’ve done something incredible. In reality, true fruitfulness requires effort and perseverance. It doesn’t happen in a single afternoon. It happens as we finish the work God gives us. WEEK Week 2 What have you started and then given up? Where have you persevered till you completed something? Compare the two experiences. What did you learn, and how can you apply it to future choices? Daily Reading: Jeremiah 31:27–32:44, 1 Timothy 3:1–16, Psalm 88:1–18, Proverbs 25:20–22 Thursday—October 19•Focus Beyond the Workplace Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23–24) Most of us are productive at work. That’s how we pay the mortgage and clothe our kids. But we may not concentrate on perseverance and productivity in other areas. When my kids were little, I’d come home from the office, and my wife would tell me about one of our children. “I just don’t know what to do with him. Blah, blah, blah.” In my mind I’d be saying, “Do you have any idea how many decisions I had to make today? I don’t care how you handle this. Just do it.” I wanted to come home and relax. In reality, we aren’t made to work at our jobs, and then just lay back and float down some river while people wave palm fronds over us and feed us grapes. We are meant to invest time and energy in our marriages, our children, our neighborhoods and our churches. We need to find the places where God has given us an opportunity to grow His kingdom. Then we need to faithfully cultivate the areas He’s given for our responsibility. WEEK Week 2 How are you investing time and energy in your relationships? In your neighborhood? In your church? Daily Reading: Jeremiah 33:1–34:22, 1 Timothy 4:1–16, Psalm 89:1–13, Proverbs 25:23–24
20514 Man in Mirror
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