My Dear Sister,

As you sit in the middle of another Monday – and the Monday before a major Church holiday at that – you have one job to do. It may feel like you have roughly 9,382 jobs to do, but you’re wrong. You just have one. What is your one job today?

Walk in obedience.

What do I mean by that?

Do the work God has given you to do today.
Do the work God has given you to do today with the joy He will give whenever you ask for it.
Do the work God has given you to do today with excellence (not necessarily perfection, btw).
Do the work God has given you to do today regardless of what’s going on around you.

Walking in obedience day after day can be hard, I know, but you are able to do it for one simple reason: “He who calls you is faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5:24a). This verse is found in the benediction of Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica. Just prior to these words, he prays God’s peace over them, and reminds them that because of Jesus, they are blameless in God’s sight.

The calling Paul is talking about is the call to faith in Christ, but the principle applies to our call to vocational ministry as well. When we answer the call to vocational ministry, we step out in the same faith and obedience it took for us to say “yes” to Jesus invitation to follow Him the in the first place.

Our call to faith requires us to walk in obedience, just like our call into ministry. And just like our faith, we have great and precious promises we can cling to on those days when we’d rather be an accountant or a goat farmer instead of a pastor, ministry leader, or pastor’s assistant.

When you choose to walk in obedience in your work and you can know:

You are His beloved daughter. He delights in you and He is pleased with your desire to obey and honor Him today.
You are where God wants you today, doing what He wants you to do.
The work you are doing is meaningful and important (even when you feel unseen by bosses, co-workers, volunteers, or disgruntled church members).
You have been given the incredible privilege of leading God’s people, pointing them at Jesus and giving them tools and opportunities to worship, to learn, and to use their gifts for His glory.

As you step into Holy Week and the flurry of activity that will pull at you from every direction, choose everyday to walk in obedience, especially when it would be easier to slack off or even walk away.

Remember, you are where God wants you to be today, because He establishes our work for us. Thank Him for His care for you in that, grab a piece of chocolate, and then go and serve in His strength and power. You’ve got this, and I’m cheering you on!

Amy :)