“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” I Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

I was moved by a great message from my pastor recently; it was these words that became the fuel my soul needed to reignite my obedience in the Lord:

“Sometimes God gives you good works rather than great works, but it is often the good works that are GREAT.” – Pastor Ted, Reliance Church.

 You can say the spark ignited emanated from pure conviction more so than profound inspiration.

How often I am at fault in overlooking the great works God has prepared for me because these actions tend to be disguised as insignificant or unimportant; all the while, I am relentlessly searching for God’s will and purpose. I want to understand why He created me, how to make a difference, and how I could serve Him daily; and, I would venture to say you grapple with these very questions as well.   

Embedded in our souls is a yearning for something better than ourselves, a yearning for something greater than ourselves – the thing is (to quote Thomas Edison), “we often miss opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

 The great works God has prepared are all around us, hidden and disguised in plain sight. The Lord is at work every second of every day from the minute task to the grand one, the question He asks of us is, “who is willing?”

Who is ready to stand in faithfulness in this season – at this moment? Who is prepared to plow the fields, to get dirty, and do those things that seem trivial?

Colossians 3:23 NIV tells us, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” It continues to say that our inheritance and our reward comes from the Lord – what could be grander than that?

Jesus himself was the perfect example of having this type of unwavering obedience. He stepped down from heaven – from perfection. He was born not in a palace, but in a manger. He did not have riches or associate with the popular crowd. Instead, he went to those written off as worthless. He did tasks that seemed insignificant. He was unceasingly faithful in the good works God set before Him, which subsequently became the greatest work known to humanity.

Remember this the next time you get the urge to ask the Lord to reveal His purpose; step back, glance around, and delight in that moment because God’s will is already astir.

Are you willing to dare greatly and embrace the great work God has set before you, even if it’s disguised as a good work?

Stop & Reflect: What works has God set before you? Are you a wife, a mother? These are great works which we often dismiss as minuscule. Are you a sister, a daughter, a nurse, a hairdresser, a writer, a teacher, a student – a human? If you are living and breathing and love the Lord, every day is a great work. Be open and willing right where you are.

I’d love to hear the faithful works you’re doing for the Lord, please share in the comments below. 

As for myself, this blog has been a good work that I know God will use for great works. Whether I see the extent to which He uses it or not, I will be faithful in the task set before me.   

God bless. 

Anita Marie