Saturday, September 06, 2008

Are you laboring in vain?

A guest post by Janet Cassidy:

Are you laboring in vain?



One of my favorite Psalms—which I often have open on my desk at work—is Psalm 127. I like to recall the first verse as I go through my day. It says, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build.”



This is such a powerful verse! It reminds me that no matter what I might want to accomplish, no matter what plans I lay out, no matter how hard I work to achieve something, if it is not the Lord’s plan, it is all for naught.



Humbly, I try to keep this perspective alive in my mind. It draws my attention to the fact that I serve God, not myself. It’s not my agenda that matters. To know that we labor to build by the Lord’s design helps us when that pesky temptation—pride—rears its ugly head. Remember: Pride is one of the most troubling roadblocks to holiness in existence. It often thrives in secret and can be very deceiving.



To find out if you are laboring in vain or practicing any self-deception, ask yourself this one question: What is the purpose of my work?



God bless,

Janet



Please visit my website at www.janetcassidy.com

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