Let Your Light Shine Before Others – Mike Durham, A Man IN Action

I held a dim view of labor and work in my formative years. As a child, I was routinely given household tasks to do as part of my responsibility of keeping a clean home. I never liked doing this but I had no choice. I would speed through the work so I could go out to play!

 

As a teenager, I not only had to continue my household chores, but I also had to accompany my father when he took on odd jobs to support the family. This was troublesome because this usually took me “out of action” for a whole weekend. It wasn’t a labor of love… it was labor that kept me from doing something I wanted to do! Even as a young adult, I had to get a job to sustain myself, and later, my family. It was clear that this was a lifelong endeavor so I better get used to it! What a distorted view of the purpose God gave me.

As I matured in my Christian life, I learned that our Father, as our creator, gave us a reason for labor from the very beginning. It is necessary not only for us to sustain ourselves, but more importantly, to serve His purpose. There are many references in the Bible to support this need. Our challenge As Men in Action is to teach those who we come in contact with to learn the true purpose and joy that labor brings in your life. My favorite passage is: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Mike Durham, A Man IN Action