Little Hands

By Cassie Downs, Christian Blogger

When my kiddos were babies, my great grandmother, their great-great grandmother, Maw-Maw Bowman, would hold them close, take their tiny hands into her beautifully seasoned hands and say, “I wonder what these little hands will do someday.”

As we celebrate Labor Day, I couldn’t help but think back to my Maw-maw’s words to my babies. And how she likely did the same with me as a child. It was her thing. And it caused me to think a little deeper about our work. About how we make a living. It caused me to look a little closer at the gifts God gave each of his children. Our talents per se. He’s given each of us the wisdom, the talent, and the knowledge to do our work. But why?

Apostle Paul believed that our work is one avenue to making a kingdom impact (Acts 18). Paul, although he could’ve walked away from his trade as a tentmaker to spend more time and energy preaching the gospel, he chose not to. He understood he could preach the gospel through his trade. To the people he would meet day in and day out. Both Jew and Gentile. And the same is true of you and me today. As Christ followers, we are not just working to put food on the table, though it’s important. But our work is a mission field to advance the good news of Jesus. Whether a tentmaker, an author, a teacher, a janitor, a salesperson, a banker, a stay-at-home parent, or a circus performer. Your work is your mission field. How you treat and how you serve your coworkers, your children, or your customers will reflect, or won’t, your relationship with Jesus. The smile on your face or the lack thereof will display the joy of the Lord or not within you.

I’m not saying as Christians we give everything away for free, or anything crazy like that. This is about our lifestyle, living Jesus out in front of those around us. Are we displaying the love of Jesus at our job? Or are we cheating, stealing, and consumed with gain? Is our mission FOR the people or FROM the people?

I wonder, what is it that your hands do? Are you using them to fulfill the great commission to make disciples? Are you a builder who’s building up the body or are you building for personal gain? Or a doctor who’s pointing others toward a greater physician? Are you a stay-at-home parent pointing your children to the Heavenly Father? We all have jobs and we all have a mission. It’s time we make our work our mission field and stop trying to separate the two. Our work should be our worship. It isn’t about what we can gain, it’s about what glory we bring to the name of Jesus.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Cassie Downs is the author of Chasing Jesus and Unrivaled, both 60-day devotionals and founder of Everyday Jesus Ministry. Connect with her online at everyday-jesus.com. Cassie’s books are available locally and Amazon.com.