Commit your works to the Lord

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we reflect on a powerful and practical proverb from the book of Proverbs: “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). This proverb speaks to our fundamental need to align our values, goals, and actions with God’s will and purpose. It reminds us that we are not alone in the pursuit of meaning, success, or happiness, but that we can trust in the Lord to guide, empower, and bless us, as we offer our works as a living sacrifice.

Let us begin by asking ourselves 5 questions: 

• What kind of works are we committing to the Lord?
• Are we doing them for our own glory or for God’s glory?
• Are we seeking to advance our own interests or to advance God’s kingdom?
• Are we choosing the easy, comfortable, or popular path, or are we choosing the difficult, risky, or unpopular path, if that is what God calls us to do?
• Are we doing our works in isolation, or are we doing them in community, in mutual support, accountability, and encouragement?

Let us also remember that our works encompass not only what we do, but also how we do it, and why we do it.

• Our works reflect our character, our faith, and our hope.
• Our works can glorify God or dishonor God, can build up people or tear them down, can bring joy or sorrow, peace or conflict.
• Our works can be fleeting or enduring, depending on their quality and purpose.
• Our works can also influence our thoughts, our emotions, and our attitudes, either positively or negatively.

Therefore, when we commit our works to the Lord, we are not saying a superficial or insincere prayer, but a deep and intentional act of surrender, obedience, and trust. We are acknowledging that we need God’s guidance, provision, and favor, that we cannot achieve our goals without God, and that we desire to honor God in all that we do. We are also confessing that we might fail, stumble, or suffer in the process, but that we hold on to the hope that God will use even our mistakes, setbacks, and pains for our good and his glory.

And when we commit our works to the Lord, our thoughts are established. This does not mean that we will always have clarity, certainty, or success, but it means that we will have a grounded, meaningful, and purposeful perspective on life. It means that we will not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by every impulse of desire, or by every fear of failure. It means that we will have a compass that guides us through the storms and challenges of life, that we will have a destination that inspires us to persevere and grow, and that we will have a faith that anchors us in the grace and truth of God.

So my dear siblings in Christ, whatever works you are doing today, whether big or small, whether ordinary or extraordinary, whether joyful or sorrowful, commit them to the Lord. And trust that God will establish your thoughts in his love, his truth, and his wisdom. Trust that God will help you to overcome your doubts, your fears, and your weaknesses. And trust that God will bless you with the fruit of his Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

May God bless you abundantly, today and always. Have a wonderful weekend. Amen