A Little Labor Day Poking by Pastor Todd Estes
Here is a wonderful guest blog entry from my pastor and good friend, Brother Todd Estes. I hope you enjoy his perspective and wisdom as much as I have over these last two years.
A Little Labor Day Poking
Labor Day – a day that started as a protest to working conditions has turned into a national holiday to celebrate our work and relax with a day off. Or even more accurate, it has turned into a day for stores to run sales before the early Christmas sales begin. Oh, you have to love our system.
Recently I have been returning to a certain text of Scripture – Hebrews 10:24 ((And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works- NKJV)). Three big thought keep popping into this little brain of mine.
1 – Consider. Not just briefly thinking about, but give thought to, ponder over, really looking into something. And in this case – consider one another. Take a minute to go through your contact list, peruse your address book, skim through your year book, and take a walk through your church directory. As you do, a few people may be brought to mind. People you need to “consider”.
2 – In order to stir up. We like to stir things up. Poke people to see if we can get a reaction. A few days ago, I was talking with one of our college kids, and we were somehow discussing how there are people who will rub the belly of a Buddha tummy for good luck. So Sunday morning, as people were exiting the worship service and many shaking my hand (as the pastor), this coed came up and rubbed my belly for good luck. She was trying to get a reaction out of a good sense of humor. Unfortunately, there are too many people that are trying to poke, or to push other people’s buttons, to get a bad reaction. Here, the text is challenging us to stir up as in sense of stirring embers to get the flame of the fire back up.
3 – To love and good works. (Here’s where Labor Day fits in) We are not to stir up a hornets’ nest but to stir up for love and good works. Encouraging and edifying to help that person be the best servant of God they can be – to assist them to continue the race, to not give up but keep on keeping on. We are to be encouraging them to serve, to help others, to minister in Jesus name, to show His love to a world that needs a whole lot more loving. God saved us so we can do good works (look at Ephesians 2:10 for more).
SO today I ask a series of questions. Are you stirring things up a bit? Are you poking someone? If not, why not? And more to the point – Are you stirring up a bees’ nest or labors of love? May Labor’s Day be a reminder – let’s get poking!
The winner for the burp cloths from last week's DIY is Cathy at The Ramblings at Chippewacreek.
A Little Labor Day Poking
Labor Day – a day that started as a protest to working conditions has turned into a national holiday to celebrate our work and relax with a day off. Or even more accurate, it has turned into a day for stores to run sales before the early Christmas sales begin. Oh, you have to love our system.
Recently I have been returning to a certain text of Scripture – Hebrews 10:24 ((And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works- NKJV)). Three big thought keep popping into this little brain of mine.
1 – Consider. Not just briefly thinking about, but give thought to, ponder over, really looking into something. And in this case – consider one another. Take a minute to go through your contact list, peruse your address book, skim through your year book, and take a walk through your church directory. As you do, a few people may be brought to mind. People you need to “consider”.
2 – In order to stir up. We like to stir things up. Poke people to see if we can get a reaction. A few days ago, I was talking with one of our college kids, and we were somehow discussing how there are people who will rub the belly of a Buddha tummy for good luck. So Sunday morning, as people were exiting the worship service and many shaking my hand (as the pastor), this coed came up and rubbed my belly for good luck. She was trying to get a reaction out of a good sense of humor. Unfortunately, there are too many people that are trying to poke, or to push other people’s buttons, to get a bad reaction. Here, the text is challenging us to stir up as in sense of stirring embers to get the flame of the fire back up.
3 – To love and good works. (Here’s where Labor Day fits in) We are not to stir up a hornets’ nest but to stir up for love and good works. Encouraging and edifying to help that person be the best servant of God they can be – to assist them to continue the race, to not give up but keep on keeping on. We are to be encouraging them to serve, to help others, to minister in Jesus name, to show His love to a world that needs a whole lot more loving. God saved us so we can do good works (look at Ephesians 2:10 for more).
SO today I ask a series of questions. Are you stirring things up a bit? Are you poking someone? If not, why not? And more to the point – Are you stirring up a bees’ nest or labors of love? May Labor’s Day be a reminder – let’s get poking!
The winner for the burp cloths from last week's DIY is Cathy at The Ramblings at Chippewacreek.
Comments
Christians don't live in isolation. We live in community and encourage each other along the way. Good guest post.
Warren