Strength for the Work Right in Front of You - Your Nightly Prayer - August 12
Strength for the Work Right in Front of You
Your Nightly Prayer
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13, NLT)
SOMETHING TO PONDER
During a season of struggling with a lack of steady income, I found myself relating to Milo, the boy from the classic book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It is said of him: “When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in. On the way he thought about coming home, and coming home he thought about going.”
A similar restlessness tugged within me–though not from boredom, as in the case of Milo–whenever I was working or job searching. Hunting for a position felt like a waste of time when I should have been completing the work that was waiting for me. But whenever I sat down to diligently write an article or complete a draft review for a student, I felt an inner gnawing that urged me to look for a more stable position.
Maybe you can relate? Worries make it hard to concentrate, hindering our ability to complete the task at hand. This cycle is easy to get into, but extremely unhelpful and unproductive … and hard to escape from.
Whenever we are facing this “Milo complex,” or the urge to do something other than what is before us, we need the reminder that the work God has for us in the present is important. Scripture encourages us not to tire of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13). Many Thessalonians had become busybodies: individuals who appear to be productive, but who are busy doing nothing of value. In their idleness, they refused to peacefully settle into the work they needed to do to provide for themselves. Thus, the Apostle Paul urged the Christ-followers to continue in the good work they were doing. As he wrote in another verse, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, NIV).
We also need this reminder today when the situations around us cause us to worry or lose focus. Yes, there are issues that need to be addressed. Yes, we must carefully plan with wisdom. But we should not fret so much that we lose the ability to faithfully engage with the job in front of us.
There is still good work for us to do; let us complete it with excellence and focus, working as unto the Lord.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
You are always working, O Lord, and what wonderful deeds You do! As I prepare for tomorrow, with all the responsibilities that await me, help me to develop greater attention to what You have called me to do in the present, not to focus on the tasks of next week, or to become overwhelmed with questions of “what if?” Give me strength for the work right in front of me, and help me complete it faithfully for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1 The work of a farmer: preparing soil, planting seeds, watering plants, and waiting for a harvest. What does a farmer’s job teach you about the need to patiently work, even when the results are not immediately seen?
2 A Bible verse that strengthens you to keep going in the good work with which God has entrusted you. How might you keep this verse in mind during the coming week (e.g., memorizing, writing it down, or hanging a print, etc.)?
3 Someone you know (or have known) who is industrious, even in the face of hardship. In what ways could you imitate their faithfulness in work?
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
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