Be Steadfast
Bullheaded Christian service
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So then, dear brothers and sisters, be [steadfast]. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NET)
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You know, a lot of times I’ll come to the end of a project and ask myself:
“Was this worth it?”
This is more than a money question. I want to evaluate the time & energy I put into a project and see if the returns of all that labor are actually worth it.
The goal is, obviously, to make a profit.
I think about Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds. How the seeds that fell on good soil yielded a harvest of 30x, 50x, or even 100x.
Those are outstanding numbers.
I’m usually ecstatic about a 2x return on any investment I make. Yet, here Jesus is talking about almost ridiculous returns. And I think Paul here wants to echo that by setting the goal for us to be “outstanding in the work of the Lord.”
Now, I’ve sort of gone about this email backwards…
So, let’s talk about being firm (the original NET translation) and being steadfast (the ESV translation, which I prefer, though it is an archaic word).
This is the person who is focused on their mission.
Almost bullheaded in working to accomplish God’s kingdom work. They will not be distracted.
Not the cares of the world, or the concerns of people, even the whims of family (when in opposition to the work of God) are not enough to move the steadfast person off their task.
Jesus was steadfast.
So was Abraham, and Paul, and later Peter, and numerous other heroes of faith.
A great cloud of witnesses cheering us on, so, be steadfast.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.