From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

Are we "spent" yet? I don't know about you, but my time schedule seems to be full to the overflowing! We must be so careful as workers in the vineyard that we don't become spent out and crushed! Satan, the father of lies and confusion, would have us remain tired, cranky, impatient, miserable sourpusses, so that our examples would be poor and contrary to the doctrine of Christ.

May it never be! Let us be ever so careful that the work God calls us to do, does not end up distracting us from concentrating on Him. Many Christian workers worship their work and do not concentrate on God. Concentrating on God will mean that in all the areas of life (mental, moral, spiritual) we will have the freedom of a child, letting the stronger, bigger Lord do the planning, and we just do the obeying and receiving the pleasurable end results. With an eye only to the work to be done, the tendency is for the worker to have a life where there is no freedom, no rest, no delight, only the burden.

Oswald Chambers says it so well, “There is no responsibility on you for the work; the only responsibility you have is to keep in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your co-operation with Him…God engineers everything; wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a wholehearted devotion to Him in that particular work.”

Let us perpetually look in the face of God and then go forth to work with the people. Endure the fire—it’s producing pure gold!

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