Your Work for God Is Not in Vain - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 12
Your Work for God Is Not in Vain
By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” - 1 Corinthians 15:58
I was doing too much… I could feel the tell-tale sign of my achy shoulder and knew my stress level was rising. Yet, I continued. I was the Bible club teacher, Sunday school teacher, praise and worship singer and I organized and rehearsed with the youth of the church for programs on all festive occasions.
It wasn’t that bad, I was doing the work of the Lord and keeping busy until his return. But the more stress I felt, the more I realized that no one was noticing the hard work I was putting in.
There was no thank you, no good job, not even a pat on the back and my stress grew. What I failed to realize at the time was I shouldn’t even be seeking men’s applause; only God’s.
Have you ever felt this? At some time or the other, whether it was at church, your workplace or home, you felt discouraged in your welldoing because you were taken for granted.
Sometimes, all you want is just one person to tell you good job so you can have the strength to continue… but it never happens.
This is why our key verse is so important. It is found in the book of 1 Corinthians and it was written by Paul. Paul knew exactly what we would face - the people of Corinth were facing the same problem. That’s why Paul wrote this verse to encourage them.
The good news is that even if no one mentions the good work you’re doing, God sees it. He never slumbers nor sleeps. He is ever-present. There is no good thing you’ve done in his name that he hasn’t taken note of.
Sisters, when you feel like fainting, this is when he will renew your strength like the eagles so that you will soar. He admonishes us to be steadfast, immovable and consistent.
Steadfast- this gives the image of not quitting. Be sure and steady. There is a reason God wants us to be diligent and tell us at the end our work will not be in vain.
Immovable- solid, a stronger addition to the word steadfast; in other words, don’t be easily shaken. I know you feel like the only one still being faithful, (so not true), keep being firm and faithful you’re doing it all for God.
Consistent- be always abounding in the work of the Lord. Everything your hands find to do, do it to the best of your ability because you serve an awesome God.
When Paul penned these words, he talked about the certainty of death, but its loss of power over the life of the believer.
At the time, I really wasn’t doing more than I could handle, I was just discouraged, and I allowed my thoughts to control doing my best for Christ. Now, I know for sure that when discouragement knocks on my door, I need to quote this verse and remind myself that my labor is not in vain.
All I have to do is serve him in sincerity and do my best to bring him glory. He has promised that what we do for him will not be in vain.
Keneesha Saunders-Liddie is a writer, avid reader and Jesus lover. She recently started a blog https://womenlovinggodsway.com to encourage women to show Christian love to others and to share biblical counsel with anyone who needs it. She firmly believes that the bible has the answers to everything that pertains to life. She is a wife, mother and student. You can connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
