Finishing Our/God’s Work—as Jesus Did

Think about it.  Jesus’ recorded earthly ministry spans just three years’ time.  In that time, He called disciples, trained and taught them and others, faced down the leadership of the day—both religious and political, healed, performed miracles, and traveled extensively but in a very small region of the then-known world.

 At the Last Supper just before Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, as He is praying to His Father, Jesus makes this bold statement:

 “I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4).  Jesus is clear that it’s God the Father who receives the glory.  Jesus is also confident that His work on earth is done (or almost done, since his crucifixion and resurrection are still to come). How?  Three years? Many still left to be healed? Romans still in power? Religious leaders still about rules and laws over grace?

 By hindsight, we know Jesus to be right.  He was done with what God called and purposed Him to do on the earth.

 We may live 70, 80, 90, 100 years.  Far beyond Jesus’ lifespan of 33.  We may work or engage in culture/community-building for 20 or 30 or 40 or more years. Far beyond Jesus’ working years. We may spend much of our work years worrying about impact, thinking what we are doing doesn’t matter in the way we want it to. 

 What if, as Jesus was, we are certain of God’s plan and purpose for us and trust Him to carry it out?  As Scripture tells us repeatedly, God’s purposes are the ones that prevail.  What if we left the outcomes to God while we fully lived into and used our God-given gifts, abilities, and talents to glorify God and serve the common good simply one day at a time?

May it be that, in the end, we can also say this to God the Father as Jesus did: “I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.”

For more on this, explore GodGiftsYou.com.

 Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You.: Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with a diversity of leaders, teams, and individuals for over 30 years.  She has been EquipConnectServe Ministry Director at a 1,200 member church since 1999.  Contact Shirley.

 Photo © Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.