Yesterday, I worked beside a 70 year old man who gave me a run for my money. He shoveled dirt, cut rebar, hauled lumber, and worked until late in the afternoon when he just ran out of gas. Mere words can't capture how blessed I feel to have had the privilege to work with such dedicated people like Gary Newcomer. This day was Saturday of Labor Day holiday weekend. While many are camping, hunting, and headed to the beach on this holiday weekend, I worked next to a man who at 70 years of age loves the Lord so much that he will labor. Others were there and just as dedicated. But as Gary and I sweated in the hot sun trying to make a path in a pile of dirt for a concrete truck to back in, I was struck by how this man could love God so much that he would exert himself to exhaustion on a long weekend while many his age are propped in a recliner or on the lake with a rod, reel and perhaps a “soda pop” in hand.
I’m reminded of some building projects described in the Bible. Moses led the Israelites to build a tabernacle as described in the book of Exodus. They were galvanized and committed to the task. Artisans came together and managers organized. Reading through the passage of scripture that describes this effort describe a united effort of a large group of people with varying talents and abilities who come together and build a place of meeting for God. Moses was given the “blueprint” from God, certain gifted artisans were employed to the task and other organizers placed helpers in the right place to get it done. Women were recruited to sew tapestries, curtains, etc. The people brought together of their substance to make up all the materials. It was quite a task and they came together to do something for God.
Later in Israel’s history, David and Solomon combined to build a permanent replacement for the Tabernacle in Jerusalem. David spent years collecting materials and making alliances for the procurement of materials. Solomon picked up his father’s vision to build the temple and accomplished a monumental task. This project too was one of cooperation between visionaries, artisans, laborers, and sources of material.
In both cases, people exerted their time, resources and skills to accomplish something much larger than themselves due to their dedication and love for God. Many likely worked long, hard hours and some probably did things they had never done before in order to make the project go. No doubt long exhausting hours were spent and families had to sacrifice their leisure time and even their work productivity time to “make it happen.”
This kind of dedication and commitment to the work of God is recorded all through the Bible and is still seen today in true Christianity. The people of God dedicate themselves to a greater cause…the “kingdom of God” as Jesus described it. We are building a kingdom that is bigger than one person, personality or even one generation. We are building an everlasting kingdom that transcends generations. This kingdom is for the purpose of bringing salvation to everyone who is willing. God wants to re-connect with us on an individual basis. And in order for the Church (people of God) to be the conduit for this to happen, we have to be dedicated to the work however it materializes. Sometimes it is spiritual in prayer and often it is physical in the form of building projects, outreach efforts and special events. These efforts for the kingdom require all kinds of help from all areas of expertise and labor. A potluck needs people who will set up tables, take out the trash and vacuum the floor as well as those who will cook and organize the event. Building projects need carpenters, painters and concrete experts as well as those who can clean up a messy, dangerous job site, make sure workers have water so they don’t dehydrate and sometimes just someone to hold a tape measure in the right spot… All of it is done for the kingdom of God and for His Glory.
In every work project there are some who empty themselves out and even exhaust themselves in dedicated work and those who barely show up. Some can’t participate for completely understandable reasons due to health and physical limitations and others you just have to shrug your shoulders and leave it between them and God. This is not new and won’t ever stop being the case. But oh how my heart is blessed and honored to work beside a man 31 years my senior who loves God and the church so much that he will exhaust himself in hard labor so that others can enjoy the blessings of God in their life just has he has experienced. What an example and what a blessing… God and His people are so good!
9/6/2015