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What is the most important work on the face of this earth? Some might respond it is motherhood while others would say being a father. There is no doubt that raising children is extremely important because it is! Yet others still could say that it is their careers, especially if saving lives or inventing things to help people derive better quality from their lives. What say you?
All of these above mentioned works or labours of love are necessary, but there is one more thing that is truly so important, so vital, that everything else simply cannot exist without it. That is correct...there can be no life without God our Creator. So what is it? Simply put, it is spreading the good news of the gospel — the news that Jesus Christ is returning to this earth to bring in His Kingdom where the whole of humanity will finally get to experience the fullness of peace, prosperity, and absolute joy of living God’s way for all eternity.
As God’s children called out from the world we go about our daily lives seemingly no different than anyone else. That is until you look below the surface. Sure we walk, talk, breathe, eat and drink, hold down jobs, raise children, do the shopping, put petrol in the car, run errands, and look like ordinary people, except we are anything but ordinary! We have a work to do, a commission (Mark 16:15), and we are going about our Father's business even if we do so quietly in careful diligence patiently waiting for the next opportunity to answer questions such as “what makes you so different from everyone else?” You see we are different, we are a peculiar people because the world does not understand us (1 Peter 2:9). They may be drawn to our example through the behaviours we exhibit such as how we speak, what we say and what we do not say, our actions in generosity of spirit by giving of ourselves in time or in other selfless ways. Actions speak so much louder than words at times, and in various ways, and as part of particular circumstances. People do notice even if they may not say anything.
Recently I was speaking with a client at work while providing treatment for her. She brought up the topic of religion and “tested the waters” by stating up front if I did not feel comfortable about this subject we would stop and go no further. I told her I was comfortable and to go ahead. I let her speak about her experiences and thoughts. After a short while she asked me what I believed and so I told her about the Sabbath. Her idea of the Sabbath was that it falls on the first day of the week — on Sunday. So I explained that it commenced Friday sunset and concluded at sunset each Saturday. My client did not agree based on scripture that she believes supports her point of view. This scripture is from Acts 20:7 “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight”. Because the scripture said they met together on the first day of the week, she understood this to mean that they met on the Sabbath. Never mind I brought up that scripture interprets scripture and gave Jesus Christ’s example, she outrightly rejected all of this based on the one scripture she provided. This was rather frustrating. No need to get into an argument because her mind was blocked and she was deceived by the devil.
So here I am writing about this experience to gain some objectivity and clarity. If ever this comes up again with said lady, or with anyone else for that matter, I have learnt to provide a perfect counter scripture which God has lovingly provided to us in Matthew 28:1 “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb”. THERE IT IS! Infallible proof from God that the Sabbath is NOT on the first day of the week. I find it oh so incredibly ironic that God has placed this proof right at the very beginning of Matthew 28, which we know to be about “The Great Commission”. It all fits like a glove and will be easy to remember. Whether she will see or listen to this remains to be seen but I do so look forward to teaching her in God’s Kingdom, God willing. And so we keep on keeping on always ready to give an answer as we are admonished to do in 1 Peter 3:15.