Sit, Serve, Build 

God on Monday
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‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in divine and human favour’ Luke 2.52

Reflection

The ending of the year invites us to reflect on our lives, including our working lives. Doing so may fill us with exhilaration, as we contemplate new opportunities; or with trepidation as we consider demanding situations. Whatever the case, it is a good time to think about making changes that will build us up in our relationship with God.

The verse above can help us. It occurs at the end of a short vignette in which the boy Jesus does a seemingly unwise and inconsiderate thing: he remains in Jerusalem, instead of returning homeward with his traveling companions. When his parents cannot find him, they suffer three days of great distress as they search for him.

What are we to make of this? Did Jesus have his head in the clouds or, worse, was he disobedient? No. Luke’s telling of this story presents us with a great yet inconvenient truth: our devotion to God requires us to put God above all else. If we are to grow in wisdom, and in favour with God, we must prioritise sitting with God, attentive to God's word.

We can also glean this lesson from Luke’s account of Jesus’ words about Mary to her sister Martha during a home visit: ’Mary has chosen the better part’ (Lk10.42). The ‘prioritized sitting’ with God that we see in these two stories - one set in a grand temple and the other in an ordinary home - may for us also come at a cost, inconveniencing ourselves and other people. 

But practising such sitting will mean we become better equipped to serve God and others in the long term. Growing in wisdom requires prioritising God’s word, applying it to our hearts, and then working it out through our hands in service to others. It is this, not frenzied activity, that will allow us to build God’s kingdom through the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

Response

On the brink of a new year, let us pause to sit and listen to God’s word. Go out of your way, if need be, to do so every day this week. As you map out the coming year, allocate time for fellowship with God. Make inconvenient changes to prioritise this.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are my God and King. Help me build your kingdom with head, heart, and hands by first sitting at your feet to be built up in you. For your glory and the good of others, Amen.

This Week's Author

God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the next Sunday in the Church's lectionary. You can sign up here to receive each God on Monday instalment.

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