Notwithstanding…Let Us Labor

by | Jul 7, 2022 | Serving God, Working for Jesus | 0 comments

And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God. (Moroni. 9:6)

When we make a commitment to something, we need to see it through. Whether it be something short term like a project or job commitment, or something long term like a marriage or baptism commitment… We need to labor diligently until we fulfill our commitment.

But what if the circumstances change? Are we still obligated to continue the work? If my neighbor goes on vacation, do I still need to keep my commitment to cutting his grass? If my boss takes a transfer in the company, do I still need to continue to work? If my spouse stops putting forth effort in the marriage, do I have to stay married? And if I feel that serving God gets too difficult in life, do I have to remain faithful until the end?

Most likely, you know the answers to these questions, but when we evaluate our spiritual commitment to the Lord, I think it’s easy to sometimes blame the circumstances around us and justify our actions.

Mormon was instructing his son Moroni to labor diligently, despite the circumstances around him. The people were becoming so hardened to the Word of God, that the job was difficult. Yet he made it personal, saying “we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay.” If we don’t keep our commitment, we should be brought under condemnation. It doesn’t matter what the outside circumstances are; we still need to labor. 

Why? Because this life is about more than the circumstances around us. It’s about our commitment to our Savior Jesus Christ, who committed His life to us. It’s about laboring to “conquer the enemy of all righteousness.” That’s our job. We must stay focused on the mission at hand. When we complete our mission, we will “rest our souls in the kingdom of God.” The ultimate reward for a job well done!

Notwithstanding means in spite of. In spite of all these circumstances, I have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay. In other words, the circumstances don’t matter. We labor on.

So, in essence…

Notwithstanding my neighbor on vacation, I will labor to cut his grass because I committed to it.

Notwithstanding my boss transferring, I will labor to do my job because I committed to it.

Notwithstanding my spouse’s lack of effort, I will continue to labor in my marriage because I committed to it.

Notwithstanding life’s trials and challenges, I will labor for the Lord because I committed to it.

So come what may—health challenge, offense, apathy, conflict, death of a loved one, pandemic—let us labor diligently!  Let us keep the commitment we made and continue to work despite all circumstances. After all, we labor to defeat the enemy and attain the kingdom of God! 

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

Author

  • Sister Mandy Griffith

    Lives on the west coast of sunny Florida with husband Brother Scott and teenage sons Wesley and Zacary

    View all posts English teacher Exercise, playing piano, planning special events, baking Mosiah chapter 4

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further Reading

The Sunflower Seed Kid

If you read the Gospel Blog, then you may remember that I work with children with special needs, and this column is dedicated to the lessons that I have learned from those kids.  One 12-year-old boy that I work with—let’s call him Jimmy—was digging through the...

Read More

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning…

Today, we welcome you to "Tales of the Insomniac." As an expert in sleep deprivation, I can resoundingly say, the nights can be soooo long. It must have begun in college, with the stress of endless studies and papers due. It continued with infants and...

Read More

Never Miss a New Article

Subscribe to Our Email List
Sign up and get every new blog post sent straight to your inbox so you always have the day’s devotional at your fingertips.

We never share your email address with anyone for any reason, and we use it only to send you Gospel Blog emails. Just articles, not ads!

Your Story for God’s Glory

Share Your Testimony on Miracle Monday

We devote Miracle Monday to sharing miracle stories. From finding a lost wedding ring to healing cancer on the spot, Jesus Christ has done it all, big and small.

And we want to hear about what He’s done for you.

The Gospel Blog Is Open for Submissions

We encourage devotional-style or scripture-based articles in the ballpark of 500 words. We are open to any topic that glorifies God and unites the Church.