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Student + Christian
written at Friday, October 28, 2011

From Abigail's post on Josh Harris' sermon http://abigailyong.multiply.com/journal

Think about all the training that Nehemiah had engaged in through his life, all the study, all the cultivated skill - he didn't get this job as cup bearer to the king without much labour - to make himself intelligent enough to function in this capacity, skilled enough in the ways of men, knowledgeable enough about government, he had applied himself and gained this significant role by work, diligence and faithfulness.

There is a very important lesson for us all but as I was studying this passage, I felt such a burden to speak this to the young people of this church.

Do not be slack in your work. Do not be slack in your studies.You're going to school somewhere, you're giving yourself to study - it might not seem that important to you but it is very important! Because it's what God's using to shape you and prepare you so that you might be useful in His purposes and it is where God has chose to place you at this very moment.

So I challenge you:
Give yourself to your pursuit of education. View that as a very spiritual God-glorifying thing. Maybe you're at your first job and it doesn't seem that impressive and you're not that excited about it. Apply yourself. Be diligent as a labourer.

The church today needs men and women who have acquired the skills, and the abilities to place them in at the highest level in every field of our culture - in government, in law, in science, in industry, in the creative arts, in every craft! 

It is meaningful and important for Christians to be diligent in working so that they are not just among the group but they are at the top of their field - their integrity and hard work should stand out to the glory of God. 

And God will use those positions of influence, that faithfulness, the hard work put in as unto the Lord - for His greater purposes in ways that we cannot imagine.

Do you think as Nehemiah was going through all those processes and preparing to be a cup bearer could have imagined how significant that position could be for the purposes of God? Remember, he wasn't a scribe, a priest, or a pastor and yet, his so-called secular work was absolutely essential for the advancement of God's purposes. 

And the same is true for every one of you - your work and your labour is an expression of worship. Work hard as onto the Lord God has placed you where He's placed you for a purpose.Work hard as onto the Lord and he'll use you in ways you might not understand or might not see for years. Pray for the impossible. Pray and be ready for action. Pray and prepare.

This story is such a powerful example that God is sovereign over all - not just over so-called spiritual things but also, over your boss (or in Nehemiah case, the king). 
God was so sovereign that He was able to place the right person at the right role and move him along the job to enable Him to accomplish His purpose for His people.

Proverbs 21:1 - The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will". No one has authority over God. God is the SOVEREIGN ruler over all.

Does the welfare of God's people grip your heart? Do we love God's glory in the gospel of Jesus so much that we weep when His name is not upheld? Are we willing to work hard and see our gifts, abilities, jobs as no accident but as God's placement for us to be a blessing, represent God and advance the purposes of God? Are we willing to take risks for the advance of God's purposes?

- Joshua Harris

Holding on tight to these lessons in Nehemiah as I persist in my pursuits in the academic world and someday, the vocational world (That day will come!). Somehow, it looks so much less daunting than before.You renewed and reminded me of my purpose! Nothing is ever a mistake. Thanks for reminding me of the why behind the what.