Positive Work
Positive Work
In our spiritual life, we must care about positive, constructive work. While we are building our own lives and the lives of others, Satan tries to present us with negativities to preoccupy us with them, distracting us from positive work.
So, what is the importance of positive work?
Positive Work
Examples of Positive Work:
1. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Supreme Example of Positive Work
During His ministry, there were many errors in Jewish society, extending even to priests, leaders, elders of the people, scribes, and Pharisees. Yet the Lord continued His constructive, positive work. He did not resist or confront any of them directly. Instead, He continued teaching and preaching everywhere: on the mountain, by the sea, in the streets, and among the fields—without paying attention to their negativities, despite their criticisms.
Imagine if the Lord had occupied Himself with the problem of the tax collectors—how they collected taxes unjustly and stole them—and tried to address this issue. Would He have had time left for positive work? He left them and continued working.
Someone may object and say: Did not the Lord Jesus pronounce woes upon the scribes and Pharisees? Did He not describe the priests as wicked vinedressers?
The answer is that He did so only in the final week, on His way to Golgotha, because He was preparing to establish new leadership for the people instead of them. Throughout the entire period of His ministry—three and a half years—it was purely positive work. He gave us the principle expressed in the saying: Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.
He endured the ظلم of the wicked and exerted His effort so as not to cause them to stumble.
2. Following the Lord’s Example: Habib Girgis
In modern times, Professor Habib Girgis followed this same path. He lived in a weak and confused era, to the extent that the Church could not find someone to teach theology at the seminary, so the student Habib Girgis was chosen to teach his own colleagues.
That era had its errors, and three groups who loved reform emerged:
- The fighters: They clashed with Church leaders and filed lawsuits against them. Church money and effort were wasted in conflict, and they did not achieve the desired reform.
- The shouters and slanderers: They filled the world with shouting and defamation, as did Sergius and Girgis Faltaous Awad, yet they also achieved nothing.
- The mourners: They only lamented the condition of the Church, and their lamentation brought no reform.
When all these groups failed, Habib Girgis chose another approach: building. He took two precious stones in his hands—the Seminary and Sunday Schools—and laid a foundation and continued building.
The structure rose, the Church was filled with knowledge and spirituality, and the work grew. Habib Girgis used to pray in his heart: “And let Your people be thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads, doing Your will.”
He authored books on theology, doctrine, spirituality, Church history, and hymnology. He also prepared curricula and textbooks for religious education and Sunday Schools. He traveled from town to town, preaching and teaching.
His method succeeded, bore fruit, and won everyone’s love. On one occasion, while he was preaching, Pope Cyril V kept blessing him with the sign of the cross throughout the sermon. The metropolitans also loved him and offered him all their support.
Habib Girgis did not waste his time criticizing wrong conditions. He continued building quietly, through fruitful positive work—and he succeeded.
3. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
A third example of positive work is the parable of the wheat and the tares.
The people said to the Lord: “Do you want us to go and gather up the tares?”
But He answered: “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” (Matthew 13:28–30)
Thus, not only were the tares left, but they were even allowed to grow. Why?
“Lest you uproot the wheat with the tares.”
How deep this wisdom is!
4. Light and Darkness from the Beginning of Creation
In the story of creation, we hear that “darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). Yet God did not say, “Let there be no darkness.” Rather, He said positively, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3). The darkness remained, and “God divided the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:4).
My brothers, the tares will remain in the earth until the day of harvest. Darkness will remain in the world alongside light. And all the days of the earth will continue, as Scripture says: “Cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22)
The Lord commanded us not to uproot the tares, and He also said: “Do not resist an evil person.” (Matthew 5:39)
Why this wisdom?
Lest you uproot the wheat.
The Dangers of Uprooting the Tares
- Wasting energy
A person who focuses on fighting evil and uprooting tares wastes energy, effort, time, and nerves. All these resources could have been used for building and positive work. Satan often distracts builders with negativities to stop them from building. - Losing inner peace
Such a person loses inner peace and peace with others, living in constant conflict. But the spiritual person is like a pure spring reflecting the image of God. One who lacks peace cannot give peace to others. - Losing meekness
He loses gentleness, calmness, kindness, and becomes harsh and aggressive. While uprooting tares, he himself turns into tares. - Losing love
Disagreements over principles often turn into personal conflicts. Harsh “frankness” replaces love, and feelings are wounded. - Losing humility
Such a person resembles the Pharisee who boasted: “God, I thank You that I am not like other men…” (Luke 18:11). Pride replaces true reform. - Losing justice
He becomes an eye that sees only faults and ignores all good. - Falling into judgment and slander
He spreads criticism and condemnation, thinking this is reform. - Becoming a stumbling block to others
He reproduces his own spirit in others, just as Scripture says:
“Its seed is in itself, according to its kind.” (Genesis 1:11–12)
Remove the Plank from Your Own Eye
All who abandoned positive work to uproot tares gained nothing. Most of them uprooted their own wheat and became tares themselves.
If you have holy zeal to uproot tares, begin first with the tares within yourself. Remove the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Our task is not to uproot the tares, but to grow as wheat. When the Great Harvester comes, He will find our ears full of grain—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold—and His barns will be filled with wheat.
