A LABOR DAY REMINDER
As we approach another Labor Day, I can’t help being reminded of a quote once attributed to that titan of industry, John D. Rockefeller: “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.” When I think of the greatness of America, those words express some of the loftiest ideals this nation has been built upon. Few people know that Rockefeller was a devout Christian who used his millions to endow several churches and seminaries. I wonder, from a Christian standpoint, how much his words might define a credo for us. Think about it. We have rights—freedom to approach God’s throne of grace (Heb 4:16). We have opportunity—Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13). We have possession, or perhaps we should say we are His possession, for as an old hymn puts it, “In a love that cannot cease, I am His and He is mine” (John 10:28,29). But along with these three truths come three biblical certainties. First comes responsibility for “We have been saved and created (or reborn) for good works” (Eph 2:10). And having taken the opportunity that “whosoever will” gave to us, we are obligated to become living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our spiritual service of worship (Rom 12:1). Finally, being a possession of Christ, we are duty-bound to use our God given talents to glorify Him (1 Cor 6:20). As we leave summer and head into the fall, let each of us remember one thing: “God does not ask us about our ability or inability, but only about our availability.” Let us stand on the “promises of God” but make sure He doesn’t find us just “sitting on the premises.”
Pastor Mike
