Friday, October 21, 2011

The fruit of laboring for Christ

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:27).

Today I’d like to take you across the world to Nigeria and introduce you to a wise man named Madaki. Some time back, Madaki was the chief elder of the church in Kwoi and one of the wealthiest farmers in the region. One day he issued the following announcement: "Madaki wants all the women to gather at his house tomorrow morning. Pass on the news." When the women gathered at his home the next day, Madaki asked them to go out to his farm and carry home his field corn.

104 women and girls walked the seven-mile round trip, carrying baskets of every size. Some brought back a big load. Others only fetched a few ears of corn. One woman carried such a huge amount that she ran out of strength before finishing the trip.

When all the women gathered back at his house, Madaki made a startling announcement: each person could keep what she brought back! There were many shouts of happiness and gratitude. However, there were also sighs of regret. Many complained, "If only I had known, I would have taken a larger basket."

There had been some women who refused Madaki’s request. They had muttered, "I have enough work of my own." When they heard what had happened, they dropped everything and rushed to the farmer’s house the next morning, begging for the opportunity to cash in on his generosity. But he quietly told them, "the time is past; the corn was brought in yesterday."

Through this kind deed, the church elder accomplished two things. First, he gave welcome assistance to many needy families. But even more important, he preached a quiet sermon that was frequently repeated throughout the community. Our Lord Jesus asks us to work for Him. Some are happy for the opportunity to serve. Others drag their feet and try to get by with doing as little as possible. Many simply refuse to give up their own priorities for Jesus’ sake. But our Lord is generous. He is no slave driver. Those who work hard for Him with no expectation of being repaid will be richly blessed in eternity.

Blog Top Sites
Blog Directory & Search engine
Blog Directory