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LEADERS MUST LABOUR
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12
1 Thessalonians 5:12

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

“…them which labour

among you…”

 

LEADERS MUST LABOUR
 
Verse 12 begins a new section, in which Paul gave some final instructions and exhortations before concluding with a benediction. In verses 12 to 15, he addressed the relationship between the church and her leaders and how they ought to relate to and serve one another. We want to first look at the responsibilities of the leaders, focusing today on the line “them which labour among you.”
 
The word “labour” carries the idea of hard, tiring work. It is very involved labour, possibly leading one to work to the point of exhaustion. One who labours is one who gives his full effort in fulfilling the tasks that are set before him. He has a strong work ethic and will diligently spend and be spent for the cause he is focused on. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all servants of the Lord could be described in such terms?
 
Anyone who is engaged in the Lord’s service should be hard at work for Him. Sometimes, the perception of pastors and full-time ministers is that they have a very easy job, working just one day in seven, having Mondays to Saturdays free to do whatever they want. This could not be further from the truth. True, there are some who are lazy, recycling old sermons or just copying from others. This should really not be the case. Pastors, of all people, must be the most hardworking, giving themselves “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). This is their calling which must never be taken lightly.
 
In fact, all true servants of the Lord (not just pastors, but all leaders) ought to be fully engaged in labouring for the Lord, daily toiling hard in the Lord’s vineyard! To be a leader in a church is no small task. If one calls himself a leader, he must be prepared to labour hard, to give of his time, energy and effort to serve his Lord and Master! These are indeed what we see in the examples of men of faith in the Bible, and in records of great men in church history. Is it evident in our church today? Are we ready and willing to give of our best to our Master?
 
THOUGHT: Am I serving the Lord? Am I labouring (hard) for Him?
PRAYER: Let me burn out for Thee, dear Father, burn and wear out for Thee; don’t let me rust, or my life be a failure, my God to Thee.

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