A Smidgen Of What I've Been Learning

I suppose I kind of alluded to this a couple of posts ago, but I want to expand on the idea of finding joy in the day to day mundane things. I can't say that I am there yet or even close but I am on my way.


Over the weekend I was listening to some LCC chapel sermons from last semester. In particular one from Rob Maupin (one of the missions professors at LCC) about WORK, preaching from this text:


Psalm 127
¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

² In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

It was exactly what I needed to hear. Mostly he talked about work being good and God ordained and a lot of things that I already had thought about. I thought I had a pretty good theology of work. Then I came to Thailand --where the work I am doing is totally different from what I thought it would be and a lot less busy than I had expected too. As it turns out, my theology of work took a backseat to my feelings of inadequacy and basically feeling as though I were contributing nothing. (Which is not true, by the way --just how I felt. So many people have emailed me to tell me that everything is ministry, etc. that I just feel the need to clarify that. Thanks for the emails too!). So, I am listening to this sermon about work being good and (sort of) being reminded that work is important and all that jazz and feeling encouraged. Here is what I really gleaned from the sermon: Even though I feel like my work is in vain --it isn't. To quote Rob,

"It turns out the real work is in surrender. The real work is to trust and to be faithful today to what He calls us to."

That, I can do. It's not always easy to be faithful, but I can do that.


If you are interested in listening to Rob's sermon or any other LCC sermon click on "LCC Chapel sermons" or "Rob Maupin" up above and it should link you to the right place.