I recently attended a funeral for a friend who was a huge support to me in the recreational vehicle (RV) resort chapel ministry that I lead each summer. Bob supported me when there was opposition to our work. He prayed often for me, the pastors who serve with me, and those who attend our chapel services. In his last years, he was increasingly less mobile, but he had a phone ministry — we could each expect to hear from him regularly.

It sounds odd, but the funeral really was a glorious event. Bob was 86 and had been ill for a while. Some said that when they told Bob that they were praying for him to get well, he replied, "Don't! I just want to see Jesus. I'm ready to go home!"

Bob lived a life of service to God and to everyone around him. The church was packed, and many testimonies were given of lives that were changed because of him. Some came to Christ; others were nurtured in their own ministries. Some were recipients of food or other supplies through the work that he did on the Arizona, US, Apache, Hopi, and Navajo reservations. The church where the funeral was held owed much of its development to his 27-year pastorate. As a probation officer, he kept his clients accountable, even if it meant chasing them down to bring them back home. As one person after another stood to tell their story about him, I was awed at the extent of his ministry. Prominent throughout was this message: "Do you know Jesus? If you don't, Bob would want you to know this: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16 KVJ) Don't wait; make Him the Lord of your life right now."

Bob was a humble man, and his motto was a quotation from Erma Bombeck: "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

As I listened to all the testimonies, I wondered, Am I working willingly at whatever I do, as though working for God? Has something I've done led to a change in the life of someone? Will I be able to say at the end of my life that I used everything that God gave me?

Perhaps you, too, might wonder this. Let's make these verses our focus:

• Galatians 6:9a – So let's not get tired of doing what is good. (NLT)
• Colossians 3:23 – Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)
• Colossians 3:17a – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. (ESV)

Prayer: Father, we want our lives to be a witness for You, as was Bob's. Help us to use our gifts and talents in Your ministry and to do everything in Your name, working for Your glory and not our own. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share on Facebook

About the author:

Sharon Cook <craftercook@gmail.com>
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA
Send your feedback to the author