Chores or Work
I found out a long time ago that there is a difference between chores and working in the field. No, I am not a country boy. I heard a great message by Dr. Fredrick Sampson at the Texas Baptist Evangelism Conference in Fort Worth. Like most African-American preachers his messages were filled with elaborate word pictures and illustrations. As I remember this message, he was describing his own experience with his grandfather.
Dr. Sampson said that his grandfather would wake him up before the sun came up, and they would begin their chores in the dark. They would work very hard milking cows, feeding chickens, cleaning out stalls, carrying water for the animals, and other such duties. Once they finished the prescribed tasks, they would stop for breakfast. They would eat a huge breakfast, because they had already worked hard for several hours. Then, his grandfather would say, "Now, it is time to go to work." On one occasion Fredrick had the courage to ask his grandfather a heart felt question, "What have we been doing, if we haven't been working?" It was then that his wise grandfather told him the difference between chores and work.
Chores are the things we do around the house and in the yard just to keep things going. They do not really make any money or produce any fruit. It is only when we go to the fields that we plant the seeds, and we can see the harvest. What a fabulous illustration for us as Christians. All of the things we do at church are just chores. They are important, because they keep things going. However, we do not really go to work, unless we get out in the fields to plant the seed of the gospel and see the harvest of souls. That is why Jesus told us to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. Many Christians never get to the fields to work. Many churches never get to the fields. I believe that breaks God's heart, because He is the Lord of the harvest, and we are not interested in working for the harvest.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 84-86 and Romans 12.
Dr. Sampson said that his grandfather would wake him up before the sun came up, and they would begin their chores in the dark. They would work very hard milking cows, feeding chickens, cleaning out stalls, carrying water for the animals, and other such duties. Once they finished the prescribed tasks, they would stop for breakfast. They would eat a huge breakfast, because they had already worked hard for several hours. Then, his grandfather would say, "Now, it is time to go to work." On one occasion Fredrick had the courage to ask his grandfather a heart felt question, "What have we been doing, if we haven't been working?" It was then that his wise grandfather told him the difference between chores and work.
Chores are the things we do around the house and in the yard just to keep things going. They do not really make any money or produce any fruit. It is only when we go to the fields that we plant the seeds, and we can see the harvest. What a fabulous illustration for us as Christians. All of the things we do at church are just chores. They are important, because they keep things going. However, we do not really go to work, unless we get out in the fields to plant the seed of the gospel and see the harvest of souls. That is why Jesus told us to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. Many Christians never get to the fields to work. Many churches never get to the fields. I believe that breaks God's heart, because He is the Lord of the harvest, and we are not interested in working for the harvest.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 84-86 and Romans 12.