Pamene tilingalira za dziko lathu lodabwitsa ndi kukongola kwake ndi unyinji wopatsidwa ndi Mulungu, tiyenera kusonkhezeredwa, podziŵa m’mitima yathu kuti ndife odalitsidwa. Tikamaganizira zatchuthi ndi zikumbutso za dziko lathu monga Tsiku la Ntchito, ndi dongosolo la zinthu, ngakhale chikhalidwe chomwe timasangalala nacho, ndi zomwe tachita zazikulu monga kukwera galimoto pa Mars yomwe ili pamtunda wa makilomita 33.9 miliyoni, zonsezi ndi zotsatira za luso la munthu. kugwira ntchito limodzi muzochita zawo za tsiku ndi tsiku zomwe zimakondwerera ndi Tsiku la Ntchito. Koma choposa ichi, uli umboni wakuti munthu analengedwa “wochepa pang’ono ndi angelo.” ( Ahebri 2:7 ) monganso umboni wa zimene Mulungu, Mlengi wathu, anachitira umboni pa Genesis 11:6 ponena za “kugwirizanitsa” kwa “kuyanjana” kwa Mulungu. anthu, nati, “….. Palibe chimene chidzaletsedwe kwa iwo, chimene iwo akuchiganizira.

   Ngakhale kuti m’dziko lodzala ndi zoipa ndi kuzunzika kuli zinthu zambiri zoipitsidwa, Yehova waika maboma ndi atsogoleri awo kuti azitiyang’anira kuti athandize kusunga bata ndi kulanga ophwanya malamulo ( 1 Petulo 2:13-14; Ahebri 13:7 ) ). Tiyeneranso kukhala othokoza osati chifukwa cha izi zokha, komanso zimene izi zikutiuza, pakuti mitundu yonse imvera Yehova, monganso zamoyo zonse za pa dziko lapansi ( Mateyu 10:29 ). Kumvetsetsa kumeneku kuyenera kutipangitsa nthawi zonse “kuwerengera madalitso athu” ndipo monga momwe nyimbo imanenera, “mutchule mmodzimmodzi” pokumbukira zimene Mulungu watichitira. Mitima yathu iyenera kukhala yoyamikira, ngakhale m’mavuto amene Mulungu walola, amene amatithandiza kukula m’kudzichepetsa, mwakutero kumvetsetsa kudalira kwathu Yehova kaamba ka kukhalako kwathu. Yobu yemwe anazunzika kwambiri pambuyo pake ananena kuti: “Ndamva za Inu ndikumva kwa khutu; ( Yobu 42:5 ) Kodi ndi angati masiku ano amene ali ndi maso oti aone Yehova?

   Zambiri mwa zomwe tafotokozazi zikukhudza madalitso akuthupi…zipatso za ntchito zathu zakuthupi, zosonkhanitsidwa posakhala “ulesi” koma kutsatira chitsanzo cha nyerere yogwira ntchito molimbika (Miyambo 6:6). Tsiku la Ntchito, lomwe linachitika pa Seputembara 2, limalemekeza anthu aku America omwe amagwira ntchito molimbika, omwe nthawi zambiri amalimbikitsidwa ndi kudzikonda komanso phindu la ntchito zawo zomwe zimakhudzidwa ndi zofuna za Capitalism. Ngakhale kuti kugwira ntchito molimbika kuli kolemekezeka, cholinga cha munthu ndi aliyense payekha sichiyenera kukhala pa ife eni ndi zinthu zakuthupi, koma m’malo mwake chikhumbo chathu chofuna kukhala okondweretsa ndi okhulupirika kwa Mulungu. Ntchito yathu ndi cholinga chathu zikhale pa malamulo awiri akulu amene Yesu, Ambuye ndi Mpulumutsi wathu anatipatsa pa Marko 12:30-34.

“Ndipo uzikonda Ambuye Mulungu wako ndi mtima wako wonse, ndi moyo wako wonse, ndi nzeru zako zonse, ndi mphamvu zako zonse: Ili ndi lamulo loyamba. Ndipo lachiwiri lofanana nalo, ndilo ili, Uzikonda mnzako monga udzikonda iwe mwini. Palibe lamulo lina lalikulu kuposa awa. Ndipo mlembiyo anati kwa Iye, Chabwino, Mphunzitsi, mwanena zowona; ndipo palibe wina koma Iye: ndi kumkonda Iye ndi mtima wonse, ndi nzeru zonse, ndi moyo wonse, ndi mphamvu zonse, ndi kukonda mnansi wake monga adzikonda yekha, ndiko kuposa nsembe zopsereza zonse. ndi nsembe.”

 Ndipo pamene Yesu anaona kuti anayankha mwanzeru, anati kwa iye, Suli kutali ndi Ufumu wa Mulungu. 

   Ndiyeno kodi Ufumu wa Mulungu umenewu n’chiyani? Ponena za zimene ntchito yathu iyenera kuika patsogolo, Yesu akutiuza pa Mateyu 6:33 kuti: “Koma muthange mwafuna Ufumu wa Mulungu, ndi chilungamo chake, ndipo zonse zimenezo zidzawonjezedwa kwa inu.” Chotero ntchito yathu iyenera kukhala pakuchita chifuniro cha Mulungu. 

Aroma 14:17 amatiuza kuti, “Pakuti Ufumu wa Mulungu si chakudya ndi chakumwa; koma chilungamo, ndi mtendere, ndi chimwemwe mwa Mzimu Woyera.” 

   Tiyenera kutsogozedwa ndi mzimu woyera, kuti tichite chifuniro cha Mulungu mwa kukonda anzathu monga momwe timadzikondera “Msamariya Wachifundo,” mwa kutero kusonyeza chikondi chathu kwa Mulungu. Mvetserani malangizo a pa Aefeso 4:28;

“Wakubayo asabenso;

  Ngati vesi ili silitithawa, tidzakhaladi monga momwe Yesu ananenera kuti tikufunafuna Ufumu wa Mulungu, ndipo tidzadalitsidwa, osati mu nthawi ino yokha, koma mu nthawi ikudzayo.   

   Kumbukirani Korneliyo “amene mapemphero ake ndi zachifundo zake zinakwera khala chikumbutso pamaso pa Mulungu,” ( Machitidwe 10:4 ) ndi Yobu, wofotokozedwa ndi Mulungu “kuti panalibe wina wonga iye padziko lapansi, munthu wangwiro ndi woongoka, wakuwopa Mulungu ndi wolungama. apewa zoipa." Kumbukirani zimene Yobu ananena zokhudza chifukwa chimene anadalitsidwira pa Yobu 29:12-16

   “Popeza ndinapulumutsa waumphaŵi wofuulayo, ndi ana amasiye, ndi amene analibe womthandiza. Madalitso a iye amene ali pafupi kutayika anandigwera, ndipo ndinachititsa mtima wa mkazi wamasiye kuyimba mokondwera. Ndinabvala chilungamo, ndipo chinandiveka: chiweruzo changa chinali ngati mwinjiro ndi korona. Ndinali maso kwa akhungu, ndi mapazi a wopunduka miyendo. Ndinali atate wa aumphawi: ndipo chifukwa chimene sindinachidziwa ndinachifufuza.

   Popeza kuti moyo wathu watsala pang’ono kuzimiririka ngati nthunzi, tiyeni choyamba tifunefune Ufumu wa Mulungu, kuti ntchito zathu zisakhale zachabe!

When we consider our wonderful country with its God given beauty and abundance, we should be moved, knowing in our hearts that we are blessed.  When we consider our nation's holidays and remembrances like Labor Day, and the order of things, even the relative civility we enjoy, and our great accomplishments like landing a vehicle on Mars that is 33.9 million miles away, these all are a result of man's abilities working together in their daily labor celebrated by Labor Day.  But more than this, it is a testament that man was created a "little lower than the angels,"(Hebrews 2:7) as also evidenced by what God, our Creator, testified to in Genesis 11:6 concerning a "united" people, saying "……nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

   Although there is much to be frowned upon in a world fraught with evil and great suffering, the Lord has put governments and their leaders in charge over us to help keep order and punish law breakers (1Peter 2:13-14; Hebrews 13:7). We should also be thankful not only for this, but what this tells us, for all nations are subject to the Lord, just as every living soul on the planet (Matthew. 10:29). This understanding should always cause us to "count our blessings" and as the hymn says, "name them one by one" being ever mindful of what God has done for us.  Our hearts should be thankful, even in the adversity that God permits, which helps us to grow in humility, thereby understanding our dependence on the Lord for our very existence.  Job who suffered greatly afterwards expressed, "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye sees Thee." (Job 42:5)  How many today have eyes to see the Lord?

   Much of what is expressed above applies to physical blessings…the fruits of our physical labors, gathered by not being "sluggards," but following the example of the hard-working ant (Pr. 6:6).  Labor Day, held on September 2nd honors hard working Americans, who too often, are motivated by the self interest and the benefits of their labors that are embodied in the self interest of Capitalism.  Although hard work is honorable, the focus of mankind and each of us individually should not rest on self and the material, but rather our desire to be pleasing and faithful to God. Our labor and focus should be on the two great commandments that Jesus, our Lord and Savior gave us in Mark 12:30-34

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” 

   So what is this Kingdom of God?  Concerning what our labors should focus on, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." So our labor should be on doing the will of God. 

Romans 14:17 tells us, “ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” 

   We must be led by the Holy Spirit, to do the will of God by loving our neighbor as our self as the "Good Samaritan" did, thereby demonstrating our love for God. Listen to the admonition of Eph 4:28,

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

  If this verse does not escape us, we will indeed as Jesus said be seeking the Kingdom of God, and will be blessed, not only in this time, but in the age to come.   

   Remember Cornelius "whose prayers and alms went up for a memorial before God," (Acts 10:4) and Job, described by God  "that there was none like him on the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil." Remember what Job expressed concerning why he was blessed in Job 29:12-16

   “Because I delivered the poor that cried for help, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.”

   With our life to soon disappear as a vapor, let us first seek the Kingdom of God, that our labors be not in vain!

J DiCesare @CDMI