Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of Our Finished Work (12/5/24)

Who has a never ending to-do-list? Whether it’s at work or home, there seems to always be unfinished projects! During the Christmas season, my shopping to-do-list can be quite long, too! What about our to-do-list for God and His people?

Jesus sees and knows about all our lists. He pointed out to the church of Sardis their unfinished list.   

Revelation 3:1-6     “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The church in Sardis had some unfinished work for God. Maybe they weren’t continuing to hold to what they previously believed about God and weren’t growing in faith. Some appeared to be moving away from God and not closer to Him.

Whatever the “work” was that was unfinished, we know our work for God doesn’t save us or gain us a higher standing, but it does reflect the level of love we have for our Savior (Ephesians 2 ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.). God has specific responsibilities and opportunities unique to each one of us. We each get to play a part for His kingdom! Plus, the best work is spending time growing in our knowledge of and love for our Savior!

Let’s ask God, this Christmas season, what He sees as our unfinished to-do-list. It may be donating to a particular group, volunteering, having a neighbor over for dinner, sharing with others what the celebration of Jesus’s birth means to you, writing notes of encouragement to the leadership at church, resuming a regular time of Bible study and prayer - whatever God lays on your heart! Jesus is worthy of all our time and devotion as He gave everything up for us!