I get the sense that the general readership of this blog consists mainly of those who love God and want to serve Him. You understand that you “are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10). My question today is who determines what good works you will do for God? This thought has rolled around in my head over the last year as my idea of the good things I would do for God has diverged from the reality of the works to which He has called me in the daily grind. I told my pastor’s wife about the conflict in myself between what I wanted to do for God verses what I was actually accomplishing day by day. She wisely replied to me that maybe God’s plan for me was different than my plan for Him.
Today I read in Philippians 1
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
It’s interesting to note the difference in what Paul wanted to do and what God actually called Paul to do. There was a necessary job to do that God had prepared Paul in advance to do. This was Paul’s job, and Paul REMAINED at his job though he’d rather be elsewhere because he desired their progress and joy in the faith.
So today I am contemplating the difference in what I want to do for God (usually grand and glorious) and what He wants me to do for Him (usually tedious and quiet with little glory). I remember the life changing truth I learned from the Experiencing God Bible Study many years ago–God is already at work building His kingdom. Instead of coming up with the great thing I want to do for God, I need to look for where He is already at work and join Him. For me, I tend to miss the little evidences that cross my path indicating God at work–my son asking me to re-read a Bible story to him. No, I’m too busy writing blog articles to stop and do that. The unbelieving friend who mentions the death of her friend. I may briefly express sorrow, but I don’t stop long enough to really engage her where she is struggling. The nursery needs more workers? No, I’m too busy editing manuscripts to watch someone else’s infant so they can worship God.
God is working on me to watch out for where He is at work in my home, my neighborhood, with my friends. My prayer is that I would not miss the evidences of where He is already at work by being distracted coming up with my own agenda of what I want to do for Him. He has already prepared the good works for me before time began. My job is not to create such good works but to stand available when He brings them across my path. And I should not expect Him to trust me with grand and glorious works when I have been hardened and unreceptive to the many evidences of His kingdom coming in the hearts of those in my home and neighborhood.
