I once had a good friend of mine say, “Why do Christians gather so often? They gather each week for church and Bible studies, and if that isn’t enough, then they hold long weekend conferences. We should be out and DOING the work Jesus did, not just gathering and talking about it.” I have heard this thinking in many different forms and while it may sound like a decent criticism and it probably is posed with a sincere heart, it is, in its essence, seriously flawed. Let me explain with a short story I heard a few years back. A man was once hired by a logging company. He was a hard and diligent worker. He was always on time for work and he would quietly grab his saw and begin cutting down trees from the start of his shift to the end. He worked as hard as he possibly could. Often, he would notice that the other workers would gather together and he would hear talking and laughing as they congregated. He was disappointed in their apparent lack of work ethic, but he paid no mind to them and continued working. After about 2 weeks he was called in by the supervisor and told that he was going to be let go. “What?! You’re firing ME?”, he asked with thick credulity. “Well”, the supervisor said reluctantly, “You are just not producing anywhere near the amount of product as my other workers, and I can’t afford to keep you.” “How is that even possible?!”, the worker exclaimed, “your other workers spend at least an hour each day chit chatting and taking little breaks, while I am the ONLY one who works consistently!” The supervisor sighed as he realized the problem, “When my other workers are taking those breaks they are sharpening their blades. Because of these breaks and sharpening their tools, their work is much more accurate and productive, they do not need to work as hard or as long because they have the better tools” Christians must work together, and as iron sharpens iron, we must gather to sharpen and encourage each other. Is there work to be done? Absolutely. Do we need to step up and be active in the army of Christ? Most definitely. However, it is the gathering, praying, and diligent studying of the scriptures that allows God to work through us and prepares us to be productive soldiers for Christ’s kingdom. God blesses those who seek to sharpen their mind and talents for His cause. Church is an AMAZING place to sharpen our tools and find rejuvenation in the Lord, but why not further those opportunities?! Wisconsin Youth for Christ is offering another platform to gain a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding of how to share His truth and love. It is a spiritual, emotional and physical getaway from school, from work, and from the typical. It is a meeting of the minds. It is a place where we are seeking fellowship and encouragement to go out into our various locations and witness for the King of kings. September 26-28th will be a beautiful Wisconsin fall getaway, and YOU are invited. Come and see what God wants to teach you!
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 16:09:36 +0000
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