Daily Devotional 05 - A Life of Labor or a Life of Ease?

by Paul Chappel

Tuesday, Sep 26, 2017

John 12:24–26

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

The life of Teddy Roosevelt reads more like a novel than a biography. Western cattleman, soldier, police commissioner, avid outdoorsman, hunter, and president of the United States were just some of the roles he played. He survived an assassination attempt while running for president, and even though he had been shot, insisted on finishing his speech before going to the hospital! Yet as a young boy Roosevelt had been weak and sickly, and his survival to adulthood was in question. He greatly valued his years of labor in the clear Western air, believing they prepared him for the active life he led. Roosevelt said, “There has never yet been a man who led a life of ease, whose name is worth remembering.”

The Christian life is not meant to be a life of ease and leisure. Instead we are called to work. Even before the Fall, God had assignments and duties for Adam to fulfill. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Though salvation requires no effort at all on our part, the One who gave us this gift is worthy of our daily, consistent, and repeated effort. Christ calls us to follow Him as a disciple, not to sit on our hands waiting for His return.

Today’s Growth Principle:

God has called us to a lifetime of service, and we must be willing to labor in His harvest fields.