Carol J German

“The fire on the final day will not test size and greatness, but quality.” (Zac Poonen)

It is good to examine your work on a daily basis using God’s Word as your plumb line. There is a crucial need to go to Christ daily and repent of anything that has not come from God. In His wonderful mercy and grace, God begins anew with you each morning; see Lamentations 3:22-23. May you stay humble with this honor and privilege and not take it for granted.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 speaks of the importance of the quality of your work versus the size or greatness of it. The world applauds and rewards size and greatness while God redeems through the quality of the work being done. What is your true intention behind what you do? Again, the need to go to Christ daily and assess your heart and motives is imperative for motives promote self; read Matthew 6:1-4.

Look at Galatians 1:10 ESV, “For am I now seeking approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

What is Paul saying in the first 4 verses of 1 Corinthians 3? Infant believers aren’t really any different than worldly people. “Aren’t you living like people in the world?”³ God has called you, and He needs you to mature in Him so the work He will call you to will be of great quality for His Kingdom. When you receive Christ and follow Him by walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit, God will help you to change careers per se.

While you may have a secular job that brings in a paycheck to provide for your family, that job is just that, provision for physical care. In that job, God will help you work in such a way where your co-workers will see Christ. When given an opportunity by God, you can share the hope and joy that you have, or God will lead you to something new for a line of work that will aid in the building of His Kingdom. Read verses 5-9 and see how Paul and Apollo served the Lord. They were willing to work and serve where God called them to, and they trusted their physical cares (like money to live on) to Him.

You are called to trust every part of your life to God. Hand it over and know you can let go.

The importance of making your work valuable is that faith is not a one-man show. What Jesus accomplished in His work on earth is carried on through you and me. Your faith is not independent of mine, and my faith is not independent of yours. We need each other. What you do and what I do go hand-in-hand with the Trinity steering the ship straight into eternity. In verses 10-11, Paul explains how we are connected by the work that we do.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have, Jesus Christ.”¹¹

When you try to accomplish any kind of work outside of Christ, Paul shares what will happen on that final day, “Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”^12-15

The quality of your service for the Lord matters. In 1 Samuel 12:14-15, the prophet Samuel speaks about the importance of your work. “Now, if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to His voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to Him, then His hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.”

Is your work reflecting that you recognize your Lord as the God of your life? Do those around you see God in you or do they see the world in you more? Would someone say you are spiritual or carnal?

Finish reading the rest of 1 Corinthians 3 and let God speak to you in regards to how valuable is your busyness in your day. What is the quality of work that you do each day? Is it for you or for the Lord?

Go back to Zac’s quote and let God speak to you. Listen carefully and ask Him to help you to obey whatever He is telling you. You can trust Him for He will be found faithful to lead you home.