GIVE ME MORE THAN ONE OF THESE

Having  been asked to speak at a nursery worker's banquet, because of being a nursery director myself, I had no idea how I would approach the subject with just giving a list of good/bad characteristics.  I wanted very badly to take a Scriptural approach, but let's face it, there isn't much in the Bible directed to nursery workers.  Whatever notes I took over the course of about three weeks just weren't taking any shape.  They were centering on alot of do's and don'ts, good qualities and bad but not what the ideal servant of God should be.  Most pastors could relate what an ideal church worker would be, but I wanted to hear from the Lord on the subject and not other human beings.

I spent those weeks thinking about the subject.  It would have been nice to have just one chapter from Paul that dealt only with the subject of nursery workers but that wasn't to be going to happen.  I looked through Bible dictionaries and concordances and found very little.  I did the "open Bible to the right page, point at a verse" thing...you know what I mean, but that wasn't working either.  Last resort, I prayed.  Yep, I prayed.  I'm ashamed to say it but that's the order things went in.  I can't say the Lord gave me something immediately.  I did find that I began to relax and not be so frenzied about the process.  I felt in God's timing, He would provide the Scripture I needed.  Two days prior to the banquet as I was finishing reading through  I Corinthians, I came to 15:58 and it reads:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye STEDFAST,

IMMOVABLE, always ABOUNDING in the work

of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your LABOR

is not in vain in the Lord.



There it was.  There in that verse were four qualities or characteristics any nursery director would love to have in every work.  But then again, probably every pastor, music director or church leader would give anything for a church full of members with those four qualities.

These four qualities took me to various dictionaries.  In a nutshell, this is what I found about each characteristic:

STEDFAST...

This is a person who patiently endures.  These folks are reliable, faithful and loyal...they are steady to the task.

IMMOVABLE...

These people occupy a certain position and are going to stay put no matter what.  They also cannot be deterred from belief or service.

ABOUNDING...

These folks are always doing the over and above.  They arrive early and stay as late as they must to see a job to completion even if others don't.  They are usually enthusiastic and positive in their dealings with people.

LABOR...

This word doesn't just speak of work in a casual manner.  Labor is always work, but work isn't always labor.  Labor is a very intense, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of work.  Labor is difficult work that is often physical but can demand mental exertion as well.  God's work is some of the hardest one can do simply because there is an enemy at the turn of every corner opposing anything done for Christ.  Our labor will be for nothing unless it is done for God alone and in the power of His Holy Spirit.  

I looked at those things and could pick out ladies on my own staff who had one or more of those qualities seen in our verse.  I had a few and even less than a few with all four of them.  It wasn't hard to look at all four qualities and see how important they would be in the nursery division of our church.   However, that verse wasn't written by Paul for nursery workers even though they can be included.  Paul was writing to every Christian in the Corinthian church and thus, to us as well.  These qualities are things even now that should be incorporated into the life of every laboring church member.

Who is that STEDFAST church member?

He is faithfully in church.  He is patient when he doesn't get his usual parking space on the hottest Sunday of the year.  He is loyal to the pastor and program of the church.  If the pastor preaches an extra 10 minutes, he doesn't sit looking at his watch.  If a guest should sit in his pew, he looks for another place to sit without asking the person to move. (Asking someone to move from one's "spot" at church isn't an unusual thing to occur in churches.)  This member is at church to serve, worship and learn.

What about that IMMOVABLE Christian?

She has her place of service which could be the choir, teacher, etc...and she faithfuly carries out her responsibilities.  For her there is nothing more important than being in her place.  If she plans to be away, she has her responsibilities covered and faithfully prays during that time for her substitute and the work that is to be done while she is gone.  She takes her job(s) very seriously and it would take a herd of buffalo to pull her away from any of them unless the Lord led her to something else.  She is loyal to her spiritual authority from the pastor down, so don't talk about them in a negative way around her.

Then of course, there is ABOUNDING...

These are people with energy galore who are always looking for extra ways to serve the Lord.  They are the ones who sign up for those things that no one else wants to do.  They arrive on time and most often early.  They will call in if something has come up that keeps them from fulfilling their responsibilities.  They may be the same ones who stay late until everything is complete.  They will stay with that straggler child whose parents fail to pick him up right after church or church activity and do it with a smile.

Oh yes, last but not least....WORK/LABOR...

This is what it's all about.  The three previous qualities are thrown into the mix of work.  That's what it's all about...God's work...the most important work we can do on this earth of ours.  It won't always be done within the four walls of our churches.  God's work is done behind the desk of an office where people observe carefully our witness for Christ.  It's seen in the volunteer work we do in schools, hospitals, etc.  It's the ethic that is with us when we do our dishes or mow our lawns.  The list could go on and on.  Everything we do is to be done heartily and for God's glory.  It gets done by rolling up our sleeves and doing the work God has called us to and to be faithful to our tasks.

You might ask, "Did Paul say all that?"  Well yes and no.  Paul used those big words with the Corinthians knowing they would know what the words meant.  Look though how Paul started out the verse:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren"...speaking to fellow Christians, people he loved.

"be ye"...no suggestion from Paul in this verse.  He was giving a very loving but firm command.

The Lord speaks to you and me out of love, yes in the form of a command that we are to be stedfast, immovable and ALWAYS abounding in the Lord's work.  That word "always" is an important one for it speaks of consistency that is expected when it comes to any work for God.  May we be ever faithful to those things God has called us to, not for personal attention but for His glory alone.

Dear Father...

We grow weary at times, but You have promised in this special verse that our labor is not in vain.  May every single thing we do be for You.  We pray we will always be faithful to You...that we will be stedfast, immovable and that we will always abound in all we do for You and others.  May we be consistent in our service.  Give us strength, love and whatever else we need in serving You better.  Amen