Dear Family and Friends,

If the pandemic lockdown had a “silver lining” it would be this lesson: We learned just how much we need each other.

Remember the shortages of food and goods we normally take for granted?

I recall looking at rows of empty shelves and half-joking to myself – so this is what it’s like to live in third world countries…

The truth is when everyone was locked down and unable to work, we learned that this world cannot function unless everyone is doing their job.

It seemed like the Body of Christ scriptures in 1 Corinthians 12 was not only God’s plan for the Church, it was His plan for mankind.

“But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” 1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV

Do the scriptures say work was created by God? Yes, and a lot more…

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’”  Genesis 1:28 NIV

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  Genesis 2:15 NIV

The Hebrew word for subdue means to bring under control.

God created the world, then asked man to use his God-given gifts to care for His creation.

God created work so that man would work for Him. Work that would be done over six days with one day of rest; not the other way around.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.”  Exodus 20:8-10 NIV

God also created work so that man – made in His image – would work serving others. Given their unique gifts and assignments, everyone would have a place as a part of the body. 

But then came the fall. And the work God created for the good of man was corrupted. 

Today, we live in a society that values people based on their work. (It’s actually the fruit therefrom). 

And then we place all sorts of labels on those who are less fortunate.

But is that their doing? Or God’s?

And let’s not forget that:

God worked as a gardener.

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”  Genesis 2:8 NIV

And Jesus worked as a tradesman.

“Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?” Mark 6:3 NIV

These were hardly the stations in life that one would expect our Lord and Father to take here on earth.

But they did so willingly. Showing us that despite what others may think of someone, to the Father and Jesus, every person matters.

And that when anyone achieves worldly success, it is not of their hands but those of God’s.

As we live life amongst those who work hard for little, let’s live out the following verses, and love others as God commands, not only inside the church but outside as well.

“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.
God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”  1 Corinthians 12:22-25 NIV

In love always,