By Mike Skinner
One of my favorite promises of Scripture is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58 at the very end of the most majestic argument for the Resurrection ever penned. Paul ends his exposition by saying that we should be immovable and steadfast, knowing that in the Lord our work and labor is not in vain. I understand this to be teaching that all acts, big or small, seen or unseen, that are undertaken for God's glory will be used by Jesus for his Kingdom project.
This is an interesting take on the mission of God and is one that should encourage all of us. Evangelical Christianity has created a pseudo-celebrity culture of Christian "heroes" such as Max Lucado and John Piper. In this context, it is easy, if one isn't publishing a myriad of books or preaching to large crowds, to wonder what use God has for you in his grand plan for the re-creation of all things. Scripture here, and elsewhere, is teaching that a mother caring for her child, an office worker hard at work at his cubicle, and the Christian author writing to millions are all equally and powerfully used by God for His Kingdom. There seems to be no act too small to be used by Jesus.
N.T. Wright picks up on this theme with this insightful quote from his book "Surprised by Hope": "Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one's fellow human beings and for that matter one's fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world- all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of God."
Earlier this summer I spent one week volunteering at a special needs camp in North Houston called Camp Barnabas. While there, I was paired up with a severely autistic 8 year-old named Spencer who quickly became very dear to my heart. Spencer is non-verbal, meaning that he rarely uses words, and does not show much emotion. Spencer loved repeating acts that he found enjoyable such as flipping on and off light switches, flushing the toilet, and swinging. I spent countless hours that week swinging on the front porch of our cabin with Spencer. We would swing back and forth while looking out at the sunset, trees, grass, and animals. It was easily my favorite part of the week- not because of the scenery, the relaxation, or the escape from the heat, but because every five minutes my little friend would look over at me and give me one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I had ever seen. Words fail to express the warmth in my heart during these times.
Because of 1 Corinthians 15:58, I am very confident that the time spent swinging will be made eternal and used by Jesus for his new creation. I feel that those moments are just as Christ-centered and God-glorifying as any sermon I have ever preached or any Bible Study I have ever led. I am so encouraged by the Scripture's teaching on how the mission of God works itself out in every act done in faith. Dear Christian, know that no act done for the Kingdom is too small to be used by our King Jesus.
-Mike Skinner
About the Author: Mike is the Pastor of First Colony Church in Sugar Land, Tx and is a communicator for Transform Ministries. Alongside those ministries, Mike is currently a Senior at Houston Baptist University where he is double majoring in Christianity and Biblical Languages. For more information on Mike, or to book Mike for a speaking engagement, please see www.mikeskinner.org.
