Resourcefulness - January's 1st-5th grade Virtue

Taking Care of Business
To say God is resourceful is something of an understatement. After all, God not only owns all resources, He made them----from nothing. In the beginning God created everything, and then God did something else incredible: He made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:27). As humans created in God's likeness, we've been given certain God-like characteristics, like resourcefulness. But not just for the sake of being resourceful. Resourcefulness has a purpose: to work, to get the job done. Look up "work" in the Bible, and you'll find God has much to say about work. We have a lot to say about work too, phrases that are sprinkled throughout our vocabulary: Work ethic, worker bee, and work force. Workaholic and work stoppage. Work on, work off, work out, work over. Our vocabulary shows our ambivalence about work.

• And yet God made us to work: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).
• Commanded us, even, to work: "Six days do your work ..." (Exodus 23:12, NIV).
• With diligence, according to Jesus: "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me" (John 9:4, NIV).
• And all our work is for Him, ultimately: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23, NIV).

Essentially, resourcefulness boils down to the why and how of our work: The fact that God gives us work, so we need to work like we're working for Him, even when no one's watching, doing our best, and trusting that God will do His part and that He will give us what we need to get the job done. So this month we're "taking care of business"----using what we have to get the job done.
Week 1:
Bottom Line: Work like you're working for God.
Bible Context: A principle of work, Colossians 3
Week 2:
Work hard even when no one's watching.
(Bible Context: The ant and the sluggard, Proverbs 6
Week 3:
Do your best, and trust God to do His part.
Bible Context: Hezekiah and the wall, 2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 32
Week 4:
God gives you what you need to get the job done.
Bible Context: God does miraculous things through Moses, Exodus 4