Co-workers with Christ

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) – 2 Corinthians 6.1-2

I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to have a lot of great co-workers in different jobs. I have also had some not so great co-workers. I once had a co-worker who wanted me to co outside and fight him. He wanted to beat me up. That’s sound very mature doesn’t it?

One of my favourite co-workers was a fella named Tim Watts. It been many years, but we used to work together for his dad’s heating and air conditioning company. I have to say that all of memories of working with Tim are pleasant ones. Our work was often hot or cold or dirty or difficult or demanding, but having a good co-worker could make even the worst day good. I remember one day on a particularly tough job when I was giving out yards about how tough it was to get things to go together. Tim popped us with ‘now Roger, let all things be done without murmurings or disputing.’ It cracked me up, lightened the mood, and we got the work done.

My co-workers at the Christian school were wonderful. We made a great team and many are still fiends. My current co-workers are not Christians, but we get along well and we make a good team. Our team of co-workers in our church make the labour so much easier than the days when we had to do nearly everything on our own.

No, with that truth, we look at this passage and we see these marvelous words ‘we are co-workers with Christ.’

As true as it is that good human co-workers can make tasks so much easier. It makes the intolerable or impossible seem possible. They share the load so we are not facing it alone. They can give us strength when we feel weak. There though we find out that as we go through life trying to serve the Lord and do His work we have the ultimate “Co-worker.’ Jesus Christ Himself is on our team! Here is there by our side sharing to work with us. He is there to share the work and encourage and lift us up and pick us when we are down and give us he strength we need to keep on going.

I am grateful for my human co-workers in the past and present, but I am overjoyed that Jesus says that we are His co-workers, striving side by side to see His work done in this world.