Keep About Your Work

Keep About Your Work

by Dr. Ernest Childs

Many years ago, I came across a tract with the above title that has helped me to keep from being side-tracked from the ministry to which God has called me. Since there are so many more distractions today, I think the advice is still relevant for God’s servants. I reproduce it here for your consideration.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

“The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it. And the devil’s business to hinder him, if he can. So as sure as the Lord has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you.

“He may present other things more promising. He may allure you by worldly prospects. He may assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, editors to assail you, and excellent men to slander you.

“You may have Pilate and Herod, Annas and Caiaphas all combined against you; and Judas standing by ready to sell you for thirty pieces of silver; and you may wonder why all these come upon you. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil? To draw you off from your work and hinder your obedience to God?

“Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs, do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie; let corporations resolve; let editors publish; let the devil do his worst; but see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work that God has given you.

“He has not sent you to make money. He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict the falsehoods which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

“Keep about your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men, but see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being, until at last you can say, ‘I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”’

That is wonderful advice from an unknown source, which if followed, will result in blessing and victory as well as God’s accolade at the Judgement Seat of Christ, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24
Taken from ‘Think On These Things’ by Dr. Ernest Childs (p25)
Used by permission.