LABOR DAY--a time for family, friends....picnics? I LOVE picnics, but the "Labor Day" I'm talkin' about was NO picnic! It was pain--pure pain! Let me spare you the details (I hear that sign of relief...), but suffice it to say, it is the biggest working day of the entire nine-month period! And so, ladies, join me in a celebration of the kind of LABOR Day we best remember; guys, don't leave--the labor room is big enough for us all!
For you see, it's not THAT kind of a labor room--it's called LIFE! It's a labor that requires physical stamina, emotional energy, soulful contemplation, and spiritual renewal. In other words, being a Christian--man or woman--is HARD WORK! Now, of course, I'm aware Christ lives within us; it is HIS life and HIS love that make our Christianity workable. But can we dismiss the part we must play so that Christ may reproduce His likeness within us?
Like marriage, Christianity is a two-way relationship--a give-and-take as we "labor together" with Christ to become the person and the vessel He wants us to be. The natural labor and birthing process is but a culmination of a 9-month long labor to bring forth a precious child into this world. It is not unlike the Christian life--male, female, married, unmarried--we're all "in process" and "under construction." LABORERS together!
A Helping Word...or Two!
LOVE!...It began long before "Labor Day," long before the wedding ceremony. Actually, it began in the Garden of Eden, when the Lord said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24 KJV). Marriage is a love relationship between a man and a woman; when a child is conceived of that love, it is a miraculous, wonderful tribute to a loving Father who planned it that way!
A loving marital relationship is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the Church. He loves us; He longs for relationship with us; intimate, divine fellowship between Creator and created being. We were designed to love and know Him. Is your "laboring for Christ" missing this intimate relationship? Then stop the laboring for a while--just lean. He will be there to love and cherish you like no other! And remember--He's watching the process--He won't forsake you!
AWESOME MOMENTS! ...A marriage relationship has all kinds of moments--some "awful" and some "awesome!" As does a pregnancy--remember the morning sickness? the aches and pains? AND remember that first heartbeat? that first sonogram? So it is with Christ! There are difficult moments in the relationship--times when we don't understand His dealing with us; there are delightful moments when we cherish His presence. Are you in the middle of a painful moment? Then know it is for your good; to develop within you His very likeness. And remember--He's watching the process--and He won't forsake you!
BETTER EXERCISE AND DRINK YOUR MILK!...Producing a healthy child requires a healthy routine of exercise and nutritious food. Vitamins and long walks; exercises from the doctor's manual. And milk, milk, and more milk! But it's necessary, needful for the proper development of the child you carry.
It's no different in the Christian life--we must "exercise" the graces He bestows upon us; we must refresh ourselves in the nourishment of His Word and Presence. If we are to develop into the Christlike image He desires, His Word must become the milk and meat of our existence. It's so easy to rely on our own resources, but they will ultimately fail us. We must find our source of strength in Him, the Nourisher of our faith. Are you frustrated, stressed out, tired, as we all are in the mad rush of family living and workplaces? Then let's step aside into the quiet of His presence and let Him nourish our souls. He longs for our dependency upon Him. He watches and works through this process. And thank God, He will not forsake!
OUCH!...Producing a healthy child can be a painful, joyous experience--the strange combination of words is deliberate--for it IS both painful and joyous! It's LABOR--hard breathing, heavy contractions, and HELP ME, Lord! And so it is with our Christian life--sometimes we experience intensity of pain; crushing pressures almost unbearable--but it's all part of the process. For if we know not the pain, we know not the joy! And if we give up, we don't grow up! It's that simple. Just as the painful contractions bring birth of a child, the painful lessons of life bring Christ-likeness into our being. If you're in that process right now, know He is watching--He will not forsake! Remember, "weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning!"
REJOICE!...And joy does come; after a long night, it is welcomed and appreciated. After the long labor comes release, rest--and joy, boundless joy. I will never forget the birth of our first son. We had waited a long time for this event, and it was worth every pain and discomfort. I will always remember those first hours of joyful celebration.
Our Christian celebration is yet to come--in heaven, we will be perfectly formed in His image. But let's not wait around for the "homecoming party"--why not enjoy a mini-celebration each time you reach another milestone in your Christian development? Enjoy His daily blessings; fill your life with joyful song. Find something in EACH day to celebrate--some days it may take a magnifying glass to find it--but you will. Rejoice in your salvation; that you belong to the King of Kings; that He is daily forming you into His glorious image.
Have a Happy L-A-B-O-R Day--sing, smile, rejoice that you are His workmanship, being developed and formed into His very likeness. As you travel the WWW and see lots of "construction site" signs, remember, YOU are a construction site--and entitled to wear this sign, "Please be patient; God's not finished with me yet!"
And that's just a word...or two, from my heart to yours!
His Healing Word
"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (Galatians 4:19)."
