Core Christian Value
Christians should never accept jobs or roles in life that separate them from God. It is better to spend a day in His Temple than a thousand elsewhere. Serve Him no matter where you are.
In the verse below, Moses could have remained in the palace of the Pharaoh and been the grandson of the king or he could join his people, the Jews, who were being persecuted. Listen:
“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to share ill-treatment with God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him.” HEBREWS 11:24-26 TLB
Do we make choices to pass on living in a situation that is clearly outside the will of God? For instance, if someone offered you a chance to live as the favored and personal servant of a very sinful man and they promised you the best of everything for the rest of your life, would you accept the offer? Discuss what excuses you might have for accepting the offer.
Here is one answer offered by a Psalm writer: A single day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a doorman of the Temple of my God than live in palaces of wickedness. For Jehovah God is our Light and our Protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from those who walk along his paths. PSALM 84:10-11 TLB
The Apostle Paul has the following to say: “… life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.” ACTS 20:24 TLB
What would you like your life’s work to be? What things can you think of to do that would make you happy and still be able to glorify God? Do any of the things you want to do tend to separate you from God and his plan for your life? Is it possible to have the very best job or one of the worst and still be happy? Listen again to Paul’s view of difficult circumstances.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” ROMANS 5:3-5 TLB
Trials will come no matter what place you find yourself. You can be God’s beacon of light in the darkness and you can be his loyal and trusted servant in his Temple.