Jn 6:27-29 NRSV, ?Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.? Then they said to him, ?What must we do to perform the works of God?? Jesus answered them, ?This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.??
There is a kind of work Jesus does not want me to do. It is the work that has as its aim profit that will not last (food that perishes). Jesus tells me not to work for perishables, but to work for eternals. Do I know the difference between the two today? What am I feverishly working on today that will not matter to me, to God or to others in even a year? These activities may not need my attention at all, or they may only require a brief touch. This is not work into which to pour myself. When I find myself drained and tired, perhaps this is exactly what I?ve actually done.
How might my word today be rooted in an eternal vision of an eternal good I might engage for the Eternal God? That?s the sort of work that matters to me, to God and to others. Working for eternal bread nourishes me in eternal life. There is grace that fortifies it.
At the heart of this work of God is to fully trust Jesus as the one the Father has sent. What would it look like today for me to more fully trust Jesus than I have?
Reflection: As you look into this day or this week, what work do you feel is more than likely focused on perishables? What work rooted in trusting God is he inviting you to engage?
