Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
For years I've wondered what the difference is between works of wood, hay, and stubble, versus works of gold, silver, and precious stone. I've asked ministers, but I've never heard an answer that really answered my question.
One day recently, it had been nagging at me so I took it to the Lord in my prayer time. I'm very aware that there's a world of difference between the works that will have eternal value, and the works that just won't last. I've meditated on it a thousand times, but have never been able to understand what makes up the difference in the works we do. When I'm in a situation, how can I know if the work I'm doing is of the eternal kind, rather than the kind that is worthless. Is there some way of knowing?
I'm the kind of person who's always watching for an opportunity to speak about the Lord, to "witness," to invite, to challenge. And I've carried the frustration all these years of not being able to succeed in this. "Oh if only I had said it this way," or "maybe there's another way to approach this kind of person...." I'd go over it again and again in my mind, trying to understand why it didn't work, feeling so responsible, and beating myself up after every unsuccessful effort. For those of you who are evangelists at heart, I'm sure you can relate. And trite answers just didn't touch the feeling of failure.
Well on this morning in my prayer time, I brought it to the Lord. I poured out before him my frustration and asked for understanding on this. His answer was a shocker to me, and it will totally change the way I go about serving him.
This is how it went:
First he brought to my memory the few times that the work DID succeed. There was the incident with a certain woman, then another person, incident after incident thoughout the years. He had me take a look at every one of them. Then asked me what was common in all these cases.
I thought about it. As I ran each story through my mind, it started to become clear to me. The ONE and ONLY thing common to every story was that it was the Lord himself who INITIATED each one. Every single incident had happened unexpectedly. And in some cases, I was at my worst on that particular day, not feeling well or in some other way not "up to" doing this. But that's when it worked! Eureka!
TRULY this is a life-changing revelation to me. And I do mean life-changing because what the Lord showed me will completely revolutionize my entire approach to serving him. Revisiting story after story just awed me with the discovery of the key, the one thing that makes ALL the difference in the world. HE must initiate it, not me.
Here are a couple of my favorite stories:
I was working a temp job for a contractor whose office was in the basement of his home. I met his wife, but she rarely came down into the office.
Well on this particular day, I was at my worst. I was not feeling well at all and I hoped to sneak in and out of that day's work unnoticed, because I knew one look at me would tell anyone I was not well. So I snuck in real fast and went to work.
Awhile later, my boss's wife came downstairs. Darn! I couldn't believe it, not on a day like today! I didn't feel like talking to anyone, I wanted to be alone and get my work done and go home. But there she was. And she opened up to me and of all things, spilled out all her problems, as though we had known each other for years.
I listened. And then, I don't remember how it happened, but the door was very obviously opened and I just shared my faith with her. She fell like a ripe apple into my hand. It changed her life. She went on to be baptized, and her husband followed, and years later I met someone who knew her and told me she was still walking with the Lord. Even as I write this, I'm amazed all over again. You'd have to know how "down" I was that day, and how unlikely a story like that would be.
Then there was my aunt. Her daughter had died and I just felt so bad for her. I called her and asked if I could come over just to visit. And truly, that's all I did have in mind. I figured her for an unapproachable person as far as the Lord is concerned. So on the day agreed to, I drove over to her house. There was a vehicle in the driveway. My aunt had some early symptoms of Alzheimer's, so I figured she must have forgotten I was coming and had other company. But I decided to at least knock on the door and let her know I had come; I could always come back at another time if she had company. She came to the door, and welcomed me in. Hmmm ...
Then there was my aunt. Her daughter had died and I just felt so bad for her. I called her and asked if I could come over just to visit. And truly, that's all I did have in mind. I figured her for an unapproachable person as far as the Lord is concerned. So on the day agreed to, I drove over to her house. There was a vehicle in the driveway. My aunt had some early symptoms of Alzheimer's, so I figured she must have forgotten I was coming and had other company. But I decided to at least knock on the door and let her know I had come; I could always come back at another time if she had company. She came to the door, and welcomed me in. Hmmm ...
So we went into the livingroom and sat down together. It wasn't until after this story was over that I realized what the Lord had done. Ordinarily her husband would have come in and sat down with us. And the conversation would never have gone the way it did had he been with us. But as it was, he had a repairman there and was helping him with a light fixture, and that kept him occupied the entire time I was with my aunt.
I don't remember exactly how it happened now, but somehow in the conversation the Lord stepped in and opened the way for me to share with my aunt. She was SO ready, SO eager to hear more, and when I finally asked her if she would surrender her life to the Lord, her eyes were filled with tears and she shook her head "yes," again and again and again. I asked if I could lead her in prayer to give over her life to him, and oh yes, she wanted that very much. So I prayed and she prayed after me, with all of her heart. I was so aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit, he had noticeably taken over me as I spoke. It was a glorious moment, one I'd treasure for the rest of my life. When my aunt later went on to heaven, I had the joyous memory of that day which was such a comfort to me, knowing she had given her life to the Lord.
And then there was Ann. I took some computer courses at the nearby tech school, and Ann was in my class. In June, we finished and I didn't expect to ever see any of the people in that class again. Well one evening, Ann called me at home. She asked if she could ask me a personal question. "Yes, go ahead," I said. She said to me, "someone told me that you're a religious fanatic. Is that true?" You know, when you're put on the spot like that, in a sudden, totally unexpected situation, the Lord takes over and gives you all that you are to say. The door was open, I went on and answered her question, and before the conversation had ended, Ann was saved and she went on to be baptized. A life totally changed by a simple unexpected phone call.
And of course there were others. But the common thread in each story was that in every case I was taken by surprise, often when I wasn't feeling well, and in each incident the Lord put into my heart what I was to say. And the proof was in the pudding - in each case the work succeeded.
Then the Lord showed me the multitudes of incidents in which I tried on my own to provoke a conversation, tried to bring up something that would invite discussion, always feeling I was supposed to, but never ever being successful. And now I clearly saw the difference, and seeing the difference has changed my life completely. I "get it!" The difference between works of gold, silver, and precious stone, versus works of wood, hay, and stubble is that in the first case it is the Lord who initiates the conversation, while in the second case, my efforts at bringing up the subject of the Lord always fell flat, it always felt like a door slamming in my face; I did this because I felt I had to, and invariably I would see the person's eyes glaze over, and often times they'd yawn. Now I understand. They're reacting to ME. When it's the Lord, the results are totally different.
The Lord gave me the following Scripture that morning, it's in John 5:19:
And then there was Ann. I took some computer courses at the nearby tech school, and Ann was in my class. In June, we finished and I didn't expect to ever see any of the people in that class again. Well one evening, Ann called me at home. She asked if she could ask me a personal question. "Yes, go ahead," I said. She said to me, "someone told me that you're a religious fanatic. Is that true?" You know, when you're put on the spot like that, in a sudden, totally unexpected situation, the Lord takes over and gives you all that you are to say. The door was open, I went on and answered her question, and before the conversation had ended, Ann was saved and she went on to be baptized. A life totally changed by a simple unexpected phone call.
And of course there were others. But the common thread in each story was that in every case I was taken by surprise, often when I wasn't feeling well, and in each incident the Lord put into my heart what I was to say. And the proof was in the pudding - in each case the work succeeded.
Then the Lord showed me the multitudes of incidents in which I tried on my own to provoke a conversation, tried to bring up something that would invite discussion, always feeling I was supposed to, but never ever being successful. And now I clearly saw the difference, and seeing the difference has changed my life completely. I "get it!" The difference between works of gold, silver, and precious stone, versus works of wood, hay, and stubble is that in the first case it is the Lord who initiates the conversation, while in the second case, my efforts at bringing up the subject of the Lord always fell flat, it always felt like a door slamming in my face; I did this because I felt I had to, and invariably I would see the person's eyes glaze over, and often times they'd yawn. Now I understand. They're reacting to ME. When it's the Lord, the results are totally different.
The Lord gave me the following Scripture that morning, it's in John 5:19:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do..."
And now I totally understand those words. YES!!! I will no longer do anything of myself, but will react only when I see the Father doing it. Finally, after all these years, I understand. And that understanding will change everything.