By
David Bragg
Forgive me for getting too
personal, but I have a math problem for you. Take
your weight and multiply it times fifty. Now imagine
being able to lift that amount of weight ... with
your mouth! According to some scholarly sources that
is precisely what ants do every day (about.com).
Especially industrious are the female worker ants.
These workers labor diligently to provide food for
their colony which can consist of millions of ants.
Just let a single ant happen upon your carefully
prepared picnic basket and that lucky ant will leave
a scent trail for other ants in their colony to
follow. Before you know it a whole army of ants will
do their best to carry off the bounty prepared for
your family's enjoyment.
Worker ants can often be observed
busily going about the thankless but necessary job
of constant housekeeping, cleaning and expanding
their colony, a business that usually involves them
carrying burdens far heavier than themselves. This
often requires feats of strength that would be
equivalent to our being able to lift and walk off
with an automobile.
Besides their great lifting
ability, ants are also extremely fast for their
size. If we could move as fast, in proportion to the
size and speed of the ant, we could be competitive
with the fastest racehorse in the Kentucky Derby!
Gifted with a divine helping of
wisdom, King Solomon can be found carefully
contemplating a colony of ants only to find in their
industry an example worthy of our emulation (Prov.
6:6-11). He saw in these little creatures a drive to
accomplish for the needs of today while wisely
making preparations for tomorrow. Quite powerful
lessons we can gain from such a tiny insect.
- David Bragg works with the Northwest Church of
Christ in Greensboro, NC and is co-editor of
BulletinGold. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website.
By
Gerald Cowan
The ancient city-state of Sparta
was one of the most formidable military powers of
its day. There’s a story about a Spartan king who
boasted about the walls of Sparta to another king,
claiming that his city was invincible because its
protective walls couldn’t be breached. When that
other king visited Sparta and looked carefully at
the city, to his great surprise there were no walls
at all. When he asked, “Where are the walls you’ve
been boasting about?” the king of Sparta proudly
pointed to his soldiers and said, “These are the
walls of Sparta, every man a brick.” To him each
soldier was a living brick in a protective wall. But
the effectiveness and impregnability of the wall
depended on each and every member brick in it, not
only some or a few but all of them. Even one
defector, one renegade, one careless person, one
person derelict or deficient in watchfulness and
response to the enemy could precipitate a breach in
the wall that could lead to the fall of the city.
Could this aspect of Sparta be a metaphor of the
church? Is Sparta’s living wall like the living wall
of the church?
The
Bible says that Christians are “living stones… being
built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5).
Just as Sparta had no walls, but depended upon its
soldiers, so the strength of the church of Jesus
Christ is not in “church buildings,” not even in the
universal church itself, but in the people who are
followers of Christ. Yes I know – I don’t need
to be reminded – the real strength of the church is
the Lord himself, a mighty tower of refuge from the
enemy (Psalm 61:1), a tower to which the righteous
can run and be safe (Prov. 18:10). But those living
stones in the tower of the Lord are the functioning
parts, the members who do the works of the Lord.
They are armed to defend each other from the common
spiritual enemies. It is necessary that all the
member stones be faithful. One person derelict in
duty can precipitate such a breach in that wall of
living stones that the building itself may seem to
in danger of falling to the enemy.
Most
of us have no doubt felt at times the tremendous
pressure we are under collectively to defend the
church of the Lord against the myriad enemies and
forces of evil that would bring it down. We
may resist and refuse to acknowledge the importance
of the individual, trusting instead the collective
strength of the members and the overarching work of
God. Many tremble at the thought that success
depends upon the individual, not the collective.
When called upon to defend the church we may feel
confident in our strength and resources – good for
us! But when trying to recapture, rebuild, and
secure any parts that have fallen we may feel it is
a hopeless task. How can we as Christians build
again what has fallen down? There is an answer
in the example and leadership of Nehemiah when he
set out to rebuild the broken-down wall of
Jerusalem, the presumptive city of God. He simply
asked each family to rebuild its own part of the
wall, its own back yard, so to speak. Obviously that
would involve any and all members of the family. No
family and no person was able to rebuild the whole
wall, but each family could manage to rebuild its
own part and in that way the collective could manage
the whole task. It was not to be the work of one or
a few, but the work of all.
You
have probably said, or at least thought, that you
cannot change the world. You’re right. Can you
change the politics of the nation or the world? No.
Can you change the religious beliefs and practices
of the world? No. The same holds true in spiritual
and religious matters for the church. Can you change
any other person? Do not be to quick to say no to
this question. If you say no here you will probably
not try to change anyone or anything. Before we come
back to this question let’s ask another.
Can
you change yourself? Can you change your thoughts,
attitudes, and actions? Of course you can! It may
not be a drastic total radical remaking but only a
gradual process, changing things one at a time or a
little at a time. Make radical changes when you can.
Do not lose heart because radical reformation and
transformation are not possible for you but be
patient in doing the things that take time and
incremental growth. Patience – even patience with
yourself while you are progressing – is a
virtue. What brings about a change in you? You
may not be able to change the way others relate to
you or react toward you. But you can change your own
character as well as your actions. Here’s how you do
it. By enlightenment. By increased knowledge. By
improved understanding and insight. By following the
example and successes of others. By accepting the
efforts of others to change or convert you. It isn’t
what others do but what you do in response to it
that brings about the change in you. When others
whom we appreciate and trust change it affects us
too. Sometimes people change but fail to tell or
show it to others so, though others may guess, they
do not really know if or how and to what extent a
change has been made. It would be helpful if they
told us how and why they have changed and if they
think it is important for us to follow them.
Now
I’ve just given you a key to repairing, rebuilding,
and securing your part of the wall or the church.
Change yourself to conform to the will of God, tell
others how and why you have made the change, exhort
and encourage others to make the same change or to
show approval of your change by emulating it. The
whole edifice and all those in it will be corrected
where necessary, strengthened and inspired to build
themselves up for God and set a pattern for others
to follow in building for God.
Just
remember how it starts. Change things one brick, one
stone, one person, or one factor at a time – a
little at a time – starting with yourself. You will
be impressed and amazed at the eventual results.
- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary,
is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. He is
available for Gospel Meetings and he may be
contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com
By Adam Faughn
"Work" is a word that many people
do not like to see. We like to think that we can get certain
results without work, but such is not the case.
Only in the dictionary ...
Does "love" come before "work."
Does "trust" come before "work."
Does "growth" come before "work."
Does "heaven" come before "work."
These are just four examples of
things people want to achieve without really working for
them. Obviously, love is is an emotion, but real love takes
a lot of work to build and maintain. We only gain trust from
others when we put forth the work necessary to build that
trust (which usually takes some significant time, too). A
relationship, business, effort, or congregation will not
grow unless there is a great deal of work involved.
But, what about heaven? Can we go
to heaven without working? When we preach that one must be
baptized in order to be saved (cf. Acts 2:38), we are often
told that we are preaching a "works salvation." It is said
that we are preaching that one can earn his or her way into
heaven.
Nothing could be further from the
truth! God's grace saves, but He still requires us to do
certain things (cf. Philippians 2:12). Most of those who
state we preach works salvation will teach that one must
believe in order to be saved, and some will teach that one
must repent of sins. Are these not works, too? They may not
be quite so obvious outwardly, but they are just as much a
work as is baptism.
And, when we think about it,
baptism is really passive compared to the others. I believe.
I repent. I confess. But, I am baptized. Someone must
baptize me!
The Bible also makes it clear that
we must continue to work for the Lord throughout our life if
we want to be found faithful in the Day of Judgment (cf.
Revelation 2:10). We cannot "pile up" enough good works to
ear heaven, but we must humbly submit to the commands of God
to be found faithful. "Heaven" only comes before "work" int
he dictionary!
- Adam Faughn serves as the pulpit minister for the Lebanon
Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. He may be
contacted through the congregation’s website at:
http://www.lebanonroadchurchofchrist.org
By Douglas Mallock
There may be nothing wrong with you,
The way you live, the work you do,
But I can very plainly see
Exactly what is wrong with me.
It isn’t that I’m indolent
Or dodging duty by intent;
I work as hard as anyone,
And yet I get so little done,
The morning goes, the noon is here,
Before I know. The night is near,
And all around me, I regret,
Are things I haven’t finished yet.
If I could just get organized!
I oftentimes have realized
Not all that matters is the man;
The man must also have a plan.
With you, there may be nothing wrong.
But here’s my trouble right along;
I do the things that don’t amount
To very much, of no account,
That really seems important though
And let a lot of matters go.
I nibble this, I nibble that,
But never finish what I’m at.
I work as hard as anyone does,
And yet, I get so little done,
I’d do so much you’d be surprised,
It I could just get organized!
By Jerrie Barber
Working is a part of God’s plan for
man’s fulfillment and happiness. After creating the
world and making man of the dust, “the LORD God took the
man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it”
(Gen. 2:15). Paradise was not then nor is now a
place of constant leisure and no responsibilities.
Whether we are thinking of work by
which we provide a living for our family or a task we do
in the Lord’s service, there are some biblical principles
that will help us.
1. Find a work suited for you. Because of
background, natural ability, education, experience, and
interest, we do some things better than others. “For
as we have many members in one body, but all the members
do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one
body in Christ, and individually members of one another”
(Rom. 12:4-5).
2. Do your best. Whether we are doing “church work”
or whether we are on the job, we are working for the
Lord. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to
the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve
the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24).
3. Schedule times of rest. God set the example by
resting on the seventh day after creating the world in
six. When the apostles had completed some work and
reported to Jesus the results, Jesus said, “Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark
6:31).
4. Be training others to do your work. It is no
compliment to anyone’s effectiveness and leadership for
any work to show a decline after he or she moves, is
promoted, or retires. Paul gave the principle to
Timothy when he wrote, “And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).
5. Prepare for work in the future that will call for
growth. The challenging task of an elder is being
addressed when Paul wrote to Timothy, “If a man desires
the position of a bishop, he desires a good work” (1 Tim.
3:1).
Work is designed by the Lord to be a
blessing - not a curse. How do you plan to be
blessed in your work?
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
- Jerrie Barber; via the weekly bulletin of the Harrisburg
church of Christ in Harrisburg, IL. You may visit
their website at
http://www.harrisburgchurchofchrist.org
