Your Everyday Job

Five days a week, and six for some, it’s hit the road, go to work, do the job, and repeat it all again tomorrow. Why? It’s what we do. If you’re going to eat, . . if you’re going to feed your family and pay the bills, it’s go to work, go to work, go to work.

As followers of Jesus in this present world, we realize that we also have a job to do for him, and yet we are often a little fuzzy about what exactly that job is. Let’s let Noah help us out with an example.

Noah lived in a wicked world as a righteous man, along with his wife, three sons, and their wives. God spoke to Noah and gave him some surprising instructions. “Build an ark!” I’m not at all sure that Noah knew what an ‘ark’ was, but God gave enough details, and I assume Noah figured out the rest. What a project! Some big barge sitting in the middle of a field, with no rain, or water, in sight. And he couldn’t have even known if it would actually float.

So here was Noah, building an ark to save his family from a flood that his mind could not fathom, that would transport him to a washed-from-wickedness world that he could not imagine. And I would suggest that the job of the Christian is somewhat similar. We are to prepare now for coming judgment, and to prepare for life in a brand new world that is not presently within reach. Are we to make an ark? No. Jesus was quite clear. We are to make disciples.

How do we make disciples? Well, the verse linked above gives some specifics. In our scattering (going), we are to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. That is, we are to introduce our families and friends to Jesus with the hope of helping them identify with Him in faith and in life. And then we are use Scripture, God’s Word, to teach them the outlines of God’s plan and Christ’s character in all the ways that good teaching happens - through example; by answering questions; by asking the question that begs asking; by illustrating using object lessons; by persuading; and by listening - realizing that the success of our efforts always relies on God, just as Noah’s family trusted God with this floating barn.

Will others appreciate your efforts? No more than they did Noah’s. They thought he was a crazy fool. Maybe even dangerous. But he and his family escaped judgment. And, if you also escape judgment and embrace salvation in Christ, you’ll one day be able to compare notes on the similarities of building boats and making disciples.