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All of us are blessed beyond our comprehension. We have many God-given advantages in this life, but unfortunately, we take many of these for granted. And when it comes to participating in the work of the Lord, we often excuse ourselves as if we had little ability, little opportunity, and little responsibility. In reality, however, God has blessed us greatly, and He is going to call us to account for what we have done with our tremendous blessings. He knows — whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not — that He has showered us with the things we need in order to accomplish His work in this world, and the plain truth is this: if we fail to use our abilities in the Lord’s work, that is a serious sin.

It is tempting to worry (and maybe even complain) about what we can’t do. But God has never asked anyone to do anything that was impossible for that person at that time. His expectations are always within our reach, and the consequence is that His judgment of us will be perfectly just. If we are lost, it will be because we chose not to do what we could have done if we had adopted a better attitude about our opportunities.

Philippians 4:13 is a passage that takes away most of our excuses. It is the text where Paul says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The “all things” that Christ will strengthen us to do are the things that have to do with His will, and what we are being told is that if there is anything we ought to do or need to do in regard to God, He will help us do it. It is an insult to God to say, “Well, I know I should do it, but I can’t do it.” To the contrary, whatever we should do, God will help us do — and we will answer for what we do or don’t do with the help God gives us at burniva.

Throughout this week, our Bible studies will concentrate on the importance of (a) identifying the role the Lord wants us to play in His work, (b) being grateful for the blessings that make our work possible, and then (c) rising to meet our responsibilities with courage and confidence. There is no greater work than the Lord’s work. We each need to be busy doing our part in the body of Christ. Ultimately, the Lord will judge our workmanship. So let’s work so that we won’t have to be ashamed of the quality of our efforts (2 Tim. 2:15). Think about it!