God's working in us

To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. – Colossians 1.29

I am glad that I don’t have to labour in my own strength. Paul writes a lot about this because he knew the importance of doing things in God's strength and according to His working.

Back in the previous verse Paul talks about the reason for his work. He says that he preaches, warns, and teaches in order to present men perfect and mature in Christ.

But therein lies the rub and therein lies the difficulty - to 'present men perfect...'

Working with people can be a difficult task. This is true in any filed because most of the time you have some dealings with people. But Paul was in a position where his primary task was to influence people to do something.

When you programme a computer to do something it does it, if you do it right. When you work with wood it doesn't fight back. Years ago I worked with sheet metal and it never once argued with me. I cleaned toilets they never pitched a fit about being cleaned.

But people aren't like that. We have a free will and we are not afraid to exercise it.

And that makes us hard to deal with.

As preachers and teachers and friends and guides we can't do anything to change people. They aren't like computers or inanimate objects. They have their own way. But as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s direction and as we strive to faithfully labour we see His working do a mighty work in and through us.