What’s you least favorite chore around the house? For me it would definitely be lawn work –
particularly at this time of the year. When it’s time to mow it’s either too wet, the grass has
gotten too long, it’s crazy hot outside, bugs are everywhere, or all of the above! It’s a sweaty
slog to get through it…and then a week later it’s time to do it again. Ugh.
I’ve been thinking about the toil of lawn work in the context of our theme for this school year
“Feel the Power!” based on 2 Timothy 1:7. Colossians 1:29 tell us, “For this I toil, struggling
with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Just because we’re Christians and have
God’s power inside us doesn’t necessarily make things easy or smooth. Yes, we can feel His
power and know He is with us; but that doesn’t mean the challenges and obstacles won’t be
great and things won’t be difficult. The “this” in the passage above refers to proclaiming and
teaching others about Jesus. That can be a joy for us – but it can also mean toil and struggle as
we face adversity, doubt, and opposition. But we don’t give up! We persevere in our toil
because “feeling the power” means we acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our lives and know
He will see us through regardless of what stands in our way.