November 12 I Monday

Jeremiah 51-52

Hebrews 9

“Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron.”  —Genesis 4:22

Cain’s third seventh-generation descendant was Tubal-Cain, famous for forging tools out of bronze and iron. This makes Tubal the father of industrialism, using the gifts God gave him in refining metal to transform everyday resources into new and useful tools. We may wonder, however, why Scripture makes such specific mention of him as well as his nomadic farmer and musician brothers.

One possibility is the spiritual revival that seems to have broken out around this time. Genesis 4:26 says, “At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” This is the first recorded revival of history, the first returning to God after humanity fell into sin, but interestingly there were no preachers or prophets to be seen. Revival took place among pioneers of culture and everyday working people.

God’s strategy in the world is not to set apart for Himself pastors, missionaries and evangelists as His A-Team while the rest of us play a secondary role. Though God does call some into ministry professions, Paul writes that Christ calls and equips “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up...” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Those in ministry are not set apart primarily to do works of service, though they often do, but to equip every believer to do those works.

If Jabal, Jubal and Tubal-Cain really were part of this first revival, their ground-breaking advancements in agriculture and migration, arts and entertainment, and industry and commerce would have been founded in their faith. There was never meant to be a strict departmentalization of spiritual and secular in our lives. When we do our work for the glory of God, it does not matter whether we are a pastor or a bronze worker. When we enter our workplaces, we are like God’s secret agents. We wear the disguise of doctor, mechanic, school teacher, stay-at-home parent or whatever our profession, but our mission is to show and share the love of Christ with a world that desperately needs Him.

The reality of our Christian lives is seen less on Sunday when we are with other Christians and more in how we act and treat others throughout the week when there may be no other Christians in sight. The way we treat customers with respect or handle our company’s finances with integrity will reveal Christ to our clients, coworkers and employers. Every Christian is meant to be in full-time Christian service, irrespective of their occupation. That is real world faith, an every day faith integrated with our everyday lives no matter what that entails.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for enabling me to be Your witness in my everyday life. As I interact with others, may they see You and Your truth exhibited through me.