Do you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities?
" 72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things." (Jacob 5: 72)
"15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the astumbling of the bJews they will creject the dstone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.
16 But behold, according to the scriptures, this astone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure bfoundation, upon which the Jews can build.
17 And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can aever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?
18 Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you." (Jacob 5: 15-18)
75 And it came to pass that when the aLord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And bblessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the cnatural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have djoy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard. (Jacob 5:75)
And here's the introduction commentary for the reading assignment for the week 8-14 April, entitled: "The Lord Labors with Us, Jacob 5-7":
"There are many, many people who haven’t yet heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you ever feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the task of gathering them into the Lord’s Church, what Jacob said about olive trees in Jacob 5 has a reassuring reminder: the vineyard belongs to the Lord. He has given each of us a small area to assist in His work—our family, our circle of friends, our sphere of influence. And sometimes the first person we help gather is ourselves. But we are never alone in this work, for the Lord of the vineyard labors alongside His servants (see Jacob 5:72). God knows and loves His children, and He will prepare a way for each of them to hear His gospel, even those who have rejected Him in the past (see Jacob 4:15–18). And then, when the work is done, all those who have been “diligent in laboring with [Him] … shall have joy with [Him] because of the fruit of [His] vineyard” (Jacob 5:75).
See also “Jacob Teaches the Allegory of the Olive Trees” (video), Gospel Library."
I just had a conversation with a friend recently. She got called to serve in a leadership position in our local church unit. And she's feeling the weight of her responsibility--it's so heavy for her. And I told her, "It's the Lord's work. You are his instrument. The Lord is in charge. Draw your heart in prayer to him." Despite wanting to do everything as much as possible, we can only do so much with our own capacity. Our own capacity is limited compared with the Lord's. When we rely on him, he will increase our own capacity so we no longer feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities. It's because of him we can do all things. We are never alone especially when we are doing his work.
What is the Lord's work? The Lord's work is what God wants us to do in every area of our lives--it's not limited to the responsibilities placed upon us as leaders and members of the church. What we are doing with our talents and skills to bless the lives of others is the work of the Lord. What we do to fulfill our roles at home--father, mother, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin, grandmother, etc. is the Lord's work. When we are spreading love, peace, and joy, we are doing the Lord's work. And the Lord is laboring with us as every moment we are doing his work.
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