A good friend of mine once warned me not to get so wrapped up in doing the work of the Lord that I forget about the Lord of the work. I love how he put that, because I know sometimes I get so wrapped up in the task that I neglect inviting the Holy Spirit in on the project. But that principle isn’t just a warning, it is something that we as believers, who do ministry for the Lord, should never forget. Psalm 127:1-2 says this:
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
When we forget the Lord of the work in anything we try to accomplish, our work is in vain. So, I encourage you, before you put your hands to the plow, so to speak, remember to invite the Holy Spirit in on the project. Pray that he bless the work of your hands, anoint the words of your mouth, and make your path straight for the task, because otherwise, without the Lord right beside you, all the work you’re trying to accomplish – even if it is for him – could amount to much less than you may desire.
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With whatever we try to accomplish, especially if it is work for the Lord, we can’t forget the Lord of the work. Otherwise, our work could be in vain. The Holy Spirit is the catalyst to everything spiritual. We are just flesh, working in a world that we can see. But there are things happening in the spiritual world that we can’t see. These things, even though we can’t see them, make all the difference in what we are trying to accomplish. So, when we go about our work, we need to make sure that the spirit world is held in check and that the Holy Spirit is active in our activity. I encourage you to make it a practice to pray before you put your hand to the plow – so to speak.