Many of us think that our assignment from the Lord is to identify problems and then apply prayer to them. We see ourselves as “God’s problem-solvers,” and we’re works-oriented. To the contrary, that’s not why we’re here. We are here to do what we see the Father doing.
Oh, we know we’re saved by grace through faith (see Ephesians 2:8-9). However, many of us feel we’re saved to work! We think God saved us to serve Him. This isn’t true any more than I married Alice so that she could serve me. We’re saved to live in vital union, fellowship, communion with Christ.
Failure to understand this will cause us to live lives of spiritual drivenness. We’ll feel obligated to take any and every ministry or assignment that’s offered. Why? Because we’ll be mistakenly trying to establish our identity by what we do rather than by who we are. Some of God’s most hard-charging servants have never had the sweet experience of falling asleep in the Father’s lap. Some dread even appearing “spiritually unemployed.”
<idle musing>
Too true. μένω/rest/abide is the key to the Christian life. Anything else is empty works and shameless self-advancement.
</idle musing>
2 comments:
Excellent words. I used to be one of God's problem solvers, and I have to admit I'm still recovering from it. LOL.
But it's a totally different life to be looking for what our Father is doing, rather than being serving- and works-oriented. This life in Christ truly is to be oriented in rest, not in works.
I think we all have tried to "help out God" at one point or another. Praise God for deliverance!
James
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