When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, ……… Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:42-43, 46-49
Jesus did his Father’s work. He taught that if you do someone’s work faithfully, yours will be given to you. “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” – Luke 16:12.
That was the principle on which Jesus did his Father’s work. Since Jesus is Lord and our example, we need to follow the ethics with which he did his Father’s work. So the first principle is: “do another person’s work faithfully for yours to be given to you.”
Jesus did his Father’s work preparedly. At the age of twelve he was found in the temple learning and sharing his ideas with the elderly. He never pushed himself into work until he was thirty years. “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age” – Luke 3:23.
Apart from all other preparations he made, at age thirty he got baptized. Following his baptism, he went into the wilderness and undertook forty day fast and came back loaded with power. “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit”- Luke 4:14.
Adequate preparation before shooting out to work is the recipe for speedy and excellent performance. The reason behind abysmal ministerial performance for instance, is that, some hide behind the Holy Spirit and think that he would do everything for them.
You see, without adequate preparation, you can easily become a charlatan. This is how come we have many charlatans doing God’s work today. If a person forgoes adequate preparation before shooting out into any work, he risks labouring tirelessly with little result.
Jesus prepared for about eighteen years and work for three and half years and left yet the work he did lives on. Moses prepared as shepherd for forty years and worked for forty years after God called and left yet the Israelites reached Canaan.
No work on this earth is small. Adequate preparation puts you ahead of competitors. It makes you walk when others are crawling. It makes you run when they are walking.
LET’S PRAY
Heavenly Father, give me grace enough to know that, when I dodge preparation, my time spent on delivery will find me out. Lord, give me grace enough to faithfully and selflessly do Your Work with dedication in Jesus’ glorious name. Amen Amen Amen.
BENEDICTION
You are a plant and you need water to flourish and bear fruit. Therefore, be connected to a Source that never dry. So l say “Fountain to every area of your life in Jesus glorious name!”
Categories