We are all called to use the gifts we receive from the Lord for His purposes. We can get wrapped up in the work, and forget the main thing. The busier we are, the less we think about why we are busy. That is what Jesus was saying to the church at Ephesus: “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Rev. 2:2-4)

Can we be over-scheduled, busy in work at church and still miss the mark? Yes, and I have been guilty of that. Jesus exhorts us to first and foremost remember our love for Him and others. “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 1:3)

In order for our labors to be prompted by love, we must daily focus on Him–His love for us and our love for Him and others. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) And when we focus on Him and love, then we can work with our thoughts focused on Christ, and in His power not our own. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

If you are growing weary, it may be a good time to ask the Lord to show you what you are missing, and if your focus is on the wrong things. If we aren’t laboring out of love, we are missing the point. “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” (1 Thess. 3:12)