January 18, 2023

The Bible Edge

Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge

Nehemiah 6:3

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Nehemiah knew that He was doing a great work. Do you? Believing that your work is a great work will give you an edge; A Bible Edge, on others who don’t.

Having enjoyed the privilege of eating at some of the finest restaurants in the world one thing is sure, a good server makes all the difference. In a day and age wherein most servers are inattentive at best and lazy at worst, a good server is refreshing to find. Look around the restaurant next time, see the serving staff standing around talking, or looking at their phones, or being absent from the floor for long periods of time. All the while you need some sugar, or salt and pepper, or extra dressing, or some other thing to top your meal off in a fine fashion, but they are not ready, prepared, present or willing to make sure your meal is outstanding.

A server in a restaurant is doing a great work. They are providing both sustenance and also an experience. Frankly, mediocre food can be overcome by an excellent, attentive, server, but the experience of great food can be ruined by poor service. The work, or lack thereof, of the server can make a difference in a restaurant. In your business the same rings true. You can make a difference on your job between a so-so product or service and a wonderful, tremendous, or great product or service.

Your work is great. No matter what type of work it is. It is great. You can make it great and keep it great if you so choose. If you are on an assembly line, do a great work. In an office, do a great work. Manage others, do a great work. In ministry, do a great work. No matter the work, determine to keep in mind that it is a great work.

In Nehemiah’s day the enemies of the work wanted him to stop working and get sidetracked by meeting with them. The meeting would not have changed the enemies’ purpose, it would have just stopped, or slowed, Nehemiah from doing his work. So he told them his heart’s purpose… I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down…

So, let’s end where we began. Nehemiah knew he was doing a great work. Do you? Think about it this way, if you were a server in the restaurant would the customer leave with a noteworthy experience or a poor and unfortunately all too common experience?

Your work is a great work, be great at it.

William Howe, Ph.D.