Putting in the Extra Effort

I’m so tired right now! This summer, I bought a second-hand Cricut cutting machine with some money I raised, intending on making t-shirts for family and for the Preacher Boy Club. I didn’t make much money on the side-venture, and the person that sold it generously lowered the price even after I agreed to more, including all of the vinyl they had. This weekend, Michaelene and I decided to take a risk, and buy more Cricut items: a shirt press, hat press and mug press. It’s a risk, just like the Cricut was, but our goal is to, even if it is in small ways, help fund our ministry in the Preaching and Teaching club through the sale of the shirts, hats and mugs we make.

Yesterday, we found out how much work it was while making gifts for our preaching and teaching club! While the machine cuts the design out of the vinyl, we have to, carefully, cut the excess off of the final product, carefully use the heat press to get it to fuse with the shirt, and make sure we’re applying the right amount of pressure to make it work. Finishing 10 of the 17 shirts for the club (plus one extra as a test run, pictured below) took us several hours, trial and error, and finalizing the product. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow, as we finish the shirts for the boys, it won’t take as long! Yet, we’ve come to realize, if we’re going to fund ministry, it’s going to take hard work, meeting deadlines after our normal “work hours” and pride in creating something people will be proud to wear that, at the same time, glorify God.

All of that is to say this: we put so much effort in to our work, our families, and even our leisure (and for most of this, we should), but how much effort are we pouring in to our faith? Do we make time to read the Scriptures, even when we’re tired, worn out, and have very important things to accomplish? Do we take the time to stop and be still in prayer before God? Do we put in a minimum effort, or are we genuinely trying to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling in every facet of our lives? Loved ones, anything worth while is worth doing well, and there is nothing more worth while than following Jesus. He left Heaven, putting on human flesh and lived perfectly when we could not, died for the sins we committed, and rose again conquering death. Doesn’t that deserve our allegiance in every part of our life? Doesn’t that deserve every effort to desire holiness because He is Holy? If Jesus put in the extra effort for us (he did not have to do any of it!), how ought we to live for Him?

Philippians 2

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

This was our test shirt. I used one of my older shirts to see how it would work, and it turned out pretty good!