Post for July 6, 2012:  For, Against, or With

It wasn’t too long after I came back to Christ that I decided I wanted to “do something great for God”.  My motives were good, my ideas were biblically based, and my heart was sincere, but nothing really happened the way I envisioned it.  I was frustrated and discouraged, but I didn’t quit the church because I knew in my heart, even as Peter responded in John 6:68 after many of Jesus’ disciples had left him and Jesus himself said to the twelve. “Do you also want to go away?”   Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”, (NKJV).  However, I did withdraw into myself and pretty much limited my involvement in ministry to prayer and financial contributions.  The thought of stepping out for God was quickly squashed by the memories of past failures.

Has that ever happened to any of you or am I the only one?  If so, how did you respond?

Something that has only recently become really clear to me is that when I say I want to “do something great for God”, if I haven’t sought His desire, His plan for my life, then I’m stepping out of His Grace and Empowerment and trying to do it on my own strength.  Now if I do something on my own, I may have some results, but they won’t be supernatural because it’s my effort and in essence, my attempt to glorify myself before Him through my works.  God will not honor or support that.  As He says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is My name; and My Glory I will not give to another,…”  I don’t know that He actively opposes such actions, but His support and His Presence will be lacking and you will know that He is not with you. 

When you come right down to it, there really is nothing we can do for God in our own strength.  We couldn’t keep God’s commandments on our own and we sure couldn’t redeem ourselves from the curse of the law.  God had to send Christ to fulfill the law and be mankind’s propitiation for sin.   As Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.”  But here’s the encouraging part!  Reading on in verse 10, Paul says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  Isn’t that cool?!  God already has something for us that we have been specifically equipped and prepared for! 

So here’s the deal.  If you want to do something great for God, try doing something great with God.  Partner with the Creator of the Universe and see where it takes you!  I know it will be far beyond what we can think or imagine!  And just in case some doubt tries to sneak in there, remember that as believers, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2Cor. 5:21) and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13)!

Be Blessed!