Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58

By Rick Renner

Often when I read the above verse, I think of a precious lady named Nina Reeves, who is now in Heaven along with the multitudes of other faithful saints. Let me tell you a little about Nina and how she impacted my life and the lives of many other people.

Nina served in the nursery at our church when I was growing up. She served in that capacity for more than 60 years and held hundreds of babies, including my sisters and me and all my friends. Finally, Nina went to Heaven at the age of 92. When she passed away, she was in good health and was still serving every week in the exact same church nursery room where she had held me as an infant.

When I think of Nina, the word pillar comes to my mind. To think that she forfeited her right to sit in church services for 60-plus years so parents could sit in the main church services to receive the teaching of the Word — that is amazing to me. I’m sure there must have been times when Nina must have felt that her ministry was unimportant — just caring for babies in the most isolated room of the nursery. Surely there must have been moments when the devil or even her own mind would tell her, “You’re just a nursery worker.” But the fact is, her service ultimately impacted the lives of countless people for eternity. Part of the fruit of my own ministry, I’m sure, will be accredited to Nina Reeves.

In First Corinthians 15:58, the apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Today I want to look at Paul’s message in this verse and encourage you in the heroic work you are called to do as one of God’s “pillars.” You may be tempted to think your role is not very important, but there will come a day in Heaven when God will display your part in His plan through the ages on Heaven’s “movie screen,” and you will see the great effect you had on others because you were “steadfast” and “unmovable.”

The word “steadfast” is the Greek word hedrios, and it conveys several meanings. First, it means to be stationary, such as something that sits in one place for a long, long time. It also describes something that is firm and steady; thus, this word was frequently used in connection with foundations in buildings. Furthermore, it describes something that is strong, unbendable, unbreakable, and permanent, such as a strong column that holds up a roof.

Therefore, when the Holy Spirit through Paul urges us to be “steadfast,” He is calling on you and me to be totally reliable — not shaky or undependable. We should be stationary in the roles where God has called us to serve. We shouldn’t be quickly shaken or easily lured to some other place or task. We must be like pillars in the place where we’ve been called to serve in the house of God.

See yourself as a pillar that others can depend on to be totally reliable. You are called to be a pillar!

Notice First Corinthians 15:58 also exhorts us to be “unmoveable.” This word is a translation of the Greek word ametakinetos, which refers to something that is not capable of being moved from one place to another place. In other words, once you’ve said yes to the call of God on your life, you should be a permanent fixture in that place where God has called you to serve.

Satan will always attempt to sidetrack you and me and anyone else whom God calls to do a job. The enemy will try to use discouragement and a host of other tactics to move us off course from our God-assigned place of service. That’s why it’s imperative that we make up our minds to be a permanent fixture in that place where God has called us to serve. You and I must be thoroughly dedicated to fulfill our assignment and carry on and follow through until the task is done the way the Lord expects it to be done.

The apostle Paul went on to say, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” The word “labor” in this verse is the Greek word kopos, which describes the most exhausting kind of work or effort. By using this word, Paul was stating that sometimes it isn’t easy to do what the Lord asks us to do. In fact, there are times when it requires great effort to walk in obedience. I can personally testify that it’s taken great commitment and fortitude to do what God has asked me to do — and to stick with it to the end.

Before Paul concluded First Corinthians 15:58, he reminded us of a vital principle we must never forget! He said, “…forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Please pay special attention to that word “vain.” It is the Greek word kenos, and it depicts something that is wasted. This is God’s promise to you that anything you do for Him is never a waste! So when your flesh or the devil whispers to you and tempts you to think that no one notices or appreciates your efforts, that your job is insignificant, or that you are wasting your time — that is the moment for you to remind yourself and the devil that nothing done for the Lord is ever a waste. Every effort, every deed — everything you have ever done in obedience to His instructions — will be accredited to your heavenly record!

I began today by telling you about a precious lady named Nina, who served 60-plus years in the church nursery. Once she knew where God called her to serve, Nina never moved from that place. She was steadfast and immovable. And even though she may have been tempted to think of herself as insignificant or to listen to what the devil may have told her, she stuck by her commitment and became a pillar in that church and a personal hero to me. Today in Heaven, I guarantee you that Nina doesn’t regret those 60-plus years of serving in the nursery. She now sees with her own eyes the tremendous fruit that was reaped because she found her place and stayed in it.

That is the legacy of Nina Reeves — and that should be our legacy as well. We must always remember that nothing we ever do for the Lord is a waste. And as we remain steadfast as immovable pillars in the place where God has called us to serve, we can trust Him to remain faithful to us to repay — in His time and in His perfect way!

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Rick Renner is a prolific author and a highly respected Bible teacher and a leader in the international Christian community. He is the author of more than 30 books, including the bestsellers Dressed To Kill and Sparkling Gems From the Greek.

In 1992, Rick and his family moved to what is now the former Soviet Union. Two years later, he and his wife Denise founded the Riga Good News Church in Latvia before moving on to Moscow in 2000 to found the Moscow Good News Church. In 2007, the Renners also launched the Kyiv Good News Church in the capital of Ukraine. Today, Rick serves as Bishop for this group of churches.

In addition, Rick and Denise pioneered a Bible school, and a ministerial association that serves thousands of Russian-speaking pastors throughout the former USSR as well as parts of the Middle East.

Rick also founded Media Mir, the first Christian television network established in the former USSR. Its broadcast capabilities via terrestrial stations in Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova, and as well by satellite means millions of people are reached with these messages. It has since expanded into book publishing and managing social media accounts. Website: Renner.org