The Lord's Work

I have recently been trying to establish a habit of memorizing scriptures. I'll memorize one every day (unless it's long), and if I remember it the next day, I'll check it off and move to the next one. The scripture that came up this morning made me think a bit. It's 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I first discovered this verse during my college years (though I had read it a few times before). It speaks to me of always being willing to serve others in whatever context I am in. As a member of the Church (my shorthand for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), it means being willing to accept callings extended by my church leaders and to be vigilant in the fulfilling of my duties. This includes such things as home teaching, helping with the planning and execution of activities, and well, serving in whatever way I can.

But the application of this scripture extends far beyond formal church duties. For what is "the work of the Lord"? Clearly, it includes anything the Lord Himself would do. This idea has implications for my daily walk - for my often mundane interactions with others at home, in the grocery store, and on the road.

I once heard some wise counsel that I try to implement in my day-to-day. "Never suppress a generous impulse." There's that quiet, inner part of us that will occasionally give us hints as to how we can brighten another's day or lift another's burden. But how easy it is to ignore the nudge, seeing as we're almost late for that meeting or already have too much on our plates. Yet the principle is clear. "Your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I hope I can do better, remembering that as small as the service that I feel nudged to offer may be, it will not have been in vain in the Lord.