First Blog

The demands of mankind yield far and wide. Higher than the heights of the greatest excellence or longer lasting than the lingering life of an individual. Should a man undertake such an enterprise alone he should fail before he began. But suppose a man could enjoin himself to God such that the toil of his hands and of his mind might be done in such a way that others could say it seemed as if God Himself had done such things. Then man’s end could be rationalized and man’s efforts stand for something. Then man’s work could outlast his short lived life; and the tearful cries of mankind, heard and dried.

A Great Work

Now what work would one find oneself in as one enjoined to God? Being enjoined to God, he would be involved in the work of God; I would mean that he would find himself doing what God would do. Now, there are some who say that the work of God is summed up in the work of evangelism; the verbal proclamation of the gospel. But I should think that is only a part of the work, not the whole. Let me ask: while everyone is evangelizing, who is going to teach? While everyone is teaching who is going to shepherd? While everyone is shepherding, who is going to counsel? While everyone is counseling who is going to make the food at the gathering for the sake of fellowship? While everyone is serving materially the poor in another country, who will serve morally the rich in our own country? These are all things God would do provided they are done in like manner. But none of them sum up the purpose of those actions. And what is that? It’s the infiltration of His kingdom on man’s. It is furthering God’s kingdom.

A Unique Role

Now if furthering God’s kingdom can be accomplished in such a variety of work, how should one discern his role in the mission? A man cannot live and has not lived long enough to span the entire mission. Neither can he engage in all the various sorts of work that need engaging. He would need to transcend his own finiteness and multiply his efforts. But man cannot make himself live a day longer than he will nor can he operate the lives of two people. Neither can he control what others will do. He can control only his own life; and perhaps that is enough. Finding purpose within himself wanting, he could sacrifice it to gain the only purpose worth pursuing. He could become part of a team; with all the rest who have sacrificed themselves for the sake of something greater. A part of a conglomerate; one that transcends himself in terms of length and variability. Then his actions would outlive himself and prove meaningful for days past himself.

Many have said that the Christian’s work is likened to the functioning of a part of the body. Independent, his work lies insignificant and dead. But combined to a living whole, he finds life even in his own small role. And yet, though not separate, the functioning of a specific body part is not the same as the functioning of a body. In other words, being part of the body is not the same as being the body. It would be silly for the hand to seek to be the most excellent listener or the most wonderful walker. There are ears for hearing and feet for walking. But should the hand be excellent, he should seek to do the work of the hand not only better than any other part but better than any other hand could do.

And so is man likened. He should do the work that only he could do best. A consideration of one’s gifts, passions, possessions, relationships and all other things available to the individual to use at his disposal for the bringing about of God’s Kingdom should be his concern. An excellent man is one who fulfills his role excellently. Why? For in doing so, he can best render the greatest degree of the kingdom of God on earth as only he can; a unique excellence. The world is too great a burden to bear – for men limited and finite, unique and particular. But community is not community, true community, devoid of cooperation. The excellent one then is not the one free from cooperative community, but the one chained in love to others, playing his part best, to love his brothers.