And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem… And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers… And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? (Luke 2:42, 46-47, 49; KJV)

At a very young age, Jesus understood something very important. His life was not His own, but He was here for a purpose. A purpose higher than the other children his age were concerned with. He was here to do His Father’s will.

You and I have been bought with a price. Our lives our not our own. Yet many continue to live life without a thought for the purpose God has for their lives.

Jesus said He was here to be about His Father’s business. Now many of you may say, I don’t have time to be at church every time the doors are open. I have a family to feed. I have a job to go to. I have a business to run. I don’t have time to run off to church or Africa or some other place to do the work of God. Well, Jesus didn’t spend all His time teaching in the synagogue. He went from village to village preaching the gospel, healing the sick, feeding the multitudes and much more. He went out among the people into their world and brought the life and love of God to them.

You may not be called to be a pastor, an evangelist, or to a full-time job in ministry, but their are people in your world, in your office, on your route, in your meetings that need the life and love of God in their lives. And it’s so much easier to give them that than many may believe.

I believe the business that our Father is in, is the business of loving people back into wholeness.

…You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. (Isaiah 38:17, Amplified)

He sent Jesus because of His love. Jesus was moved with compassion, moved by love, to meet the needs of the people. What about the needs of the office secretary? What about the needs of the store clerk? What about the needs of the waiter at lunch? What about the needs of your business partner or employees? Or your boss?

It may seem simple, but a smile at just the right time, could make all the difference in the world to someone’s life. A big tip when having a really bad day, may be just the mercy and love the waiter needs that day. As we love people throughout the day, our simple acts of kindness may be just what they need to make it through another day, or it may be what opens the door to share the Gospel with them. No matter how big or how small the act of love is, the love of God never fails to achieve what it was sent to do.

So remember, no matter what business you are in, you can still be about your Father’s business every where you go and with every person you meet simply by loving people.