John 6:27 – Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. (NIV)

My dad was an excellent engineer, and there were many evenings in our household when I would just sit and watch him at his desk. He would pour over blueprints and designs for machinery for hours, checking all the specifications, whilst rotating all the gears, belts, and axles in his mind. His skills amazed me, and to this day, I wish that I had that capacity.

I remember he came in one day very excited. With him, he had some large blueprints and a packet of Kellogg's cornflakes. He took out a pair of scissors, and he cut something from the side of the box. I saw that it was a crown, with the letters ER in italics. He stuck it to his blueprint with some Scotch tape. I didn't understand, but my dad's face was beaming.

"What's the crown for?" I asked.

"It's a seal of approval, John," he answered. "The machine that I'm designing is being made for one of the Queen's own regiments, so when this blueprint is finally finished, it will have her seal of approval on it."

I felt really proud of my dad, and I know that he was proud of his accomplishment, too.

Jesus talks about our doing work that will last for eternity, understanding that, because Jesus has God's seal of approval, the work we do in His Spirit and power likewise receives God's seal of approval. It's Christ's way of telling us that we can please God with the things that we do in our lives. If we work for money, food, shelter, and clothing all of the time, then we are only working for ourselves; but if we are willing to serve God with our time, talents, and treasures, then we are living our lives for Him. When we do that, we delight in God's approval, and are sealed with His love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to serve You in every way that we possibly can. Teach us to make good and godly uses of our time, our skills, and our resources. Enable and encourage us to work for Your church, to fulfill Your mission, and to support Your ministry in our community and country, and across the world. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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