"Half of my servants worked on construction,
and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail."Nehemiah 4:16
As Christians, God expects you and me to be productive. I don't know about you, but I get excited and joyful when I am accomplishing something with my life. I don't like being idle. I want to be productive. I am this way because I have always known God created me for a purpose. The first thing He did when He created Adam and Eve was give them jobs. They were given the responsibility to take care of and manage Creation. As long as they were being productive, they had good lives. Their joy was in the fact of fulfilling the Creator's plans for their lives. The same is true for us, as well. Productivity brings healthy joy.
However, we have all known Christians, who looked like they were weaned on pickles. They were void of happiness, joy, and peace in their lives. Does that sound like anyone you know? Yet, when you looked at their lives, they were idle, lazy, and waiting for the next thing to happen to them, whether it was good or bad. They would tell you, "Well, you just never know." But, that is such a lie. You can know, and you can be productive, if you will make up your mind to do it.
We have also known Christians who were the opposite. They were joyful, always abounding in doing good things, even when they experienced the same kind of hardships. What is the difference? I believe the joyful Christian has found the secret expressed in God's Word: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."Romans 122:12.
The joyful life is founded in hope. Joy is not an emotion, when everything is going well. It is a command, whether things are going right, or your world is falling apart. If a Christian is not joyful, it is because his hope basket is empty. He has lost his sense of hope. This is usually because his mind is so preoccupied with his circumstances. He has just enough religion in him to make him miserable. He believes in God, but he is not sure he can trust Him ... with his problem. Your hope is the basis for your faith. The Good News is, you can trust God with your life, but you must be productive!
LET US PRAY:"Father, restore to me the joy of my salvation, by restoring my hope in You, In Jesus' Name, Amen!"
"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort."~ Paul J. Meyer
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