March 14th, 2014
Lydia, it is not your works that I want, it’s you.
Your works are just a method I use to love you, to show you your worth in my eyes. I know that you, doing this gives you a sense of satisfaction and you find joy in serving Me; so I let you be led by my Spirit to serve Me.
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Ignite in me a flame that never fades; a flame that only burns stronger.
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What are you ready to lose to follow me this way?
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Your answer goes here.
Welcome to a small glimpse of my quiet time with God. I wanted to share this because I realize that way too many of us Christians put too much emphasis on works and performance. We focus our energy on doing things for God and forget that beyond the motivation to do things, our heart's hidden desire should not be to seek God's approval but to seek His face. Especially coming from a pastor's home, I got to see first hand the different relationships with work and worship that can be had amongst the members of a congregation. Faithful to the saying "monkey see, monkey do", in my own way, I struggled with spiritual perfectionism through the means of performance and works.
And then, I have to remind myself that God approved us when He sent His Son to die for all our wrongs: past, present, and future. The price was already paid. So, this need for performance and this urgency to do for God rather than spending time with God needs to be explored.
And then, I have to remind myself that God approved us when He sent His Son to die for all our wrongs: past, present, and future. The price was already paid. So, this need for performance and this urgency to do for God rather than spending time with God needs to be explored.
Works and Faith
Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). I get the feeling that in our North American culture, we have it in our minds that if we do much in the church and everybody in the congregation approves of our behavior, God does also. No one says it. But through observation, that’s the sense I get. A few genuine or unknowingly self-righteous people with good intentions tell you what to do, what they need and expect from you and assume that because they asked, “yes” is the answer they should receive from you because the request is for the “advancement of the Kingdom”… but, who’s kingdom are we talking about, really?
We must be careful. Scripture is clear: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). In my books, if you are so busy with “ministry for the Kingdom” (i.e. for your church, para-church ministry, other organization, people or project) and your time with God in the secret place is scarce or inexistent, you are not making God a priority in your life but others. And that is not the order of priority that God requires.
If God did not find primacy in your schedule but church ministry has, you are putting people before God. Be watchful that you do not confuse people’s expectations for God’s Instructions. No matter how much conviction, enlightenment or human authority a person seems to have, don’t forget the basics: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and that Jesus is the way the Truth and the light, none come to the Father but through Him (Jesus, that is). So, if Jesus is the way that leads to life everlasting, be watchful not to idolize godly people and confuse their voices for God’s.
And you can tell the difference because one voice will match the Word of God, IN CONTEXT. This means, that you can’t just read your Bible like some people blindly read the news from a pop magazine or the horoscope to help you make a decision for your day. If you truly care about walking with God, treat your study of the Word like your favorite topic and learn everything you can from it and about it. Don’t let people tell you what it says. God gave you the responsibility to use your brain so take the responsibility seriously. Intelligence and critical thinking are gifts and talent to be invested that have a place in the Kingdom.
I say this because I have sadly witnessed too many times, passionate and strongly opinionated people feel like their convictions sounds a lot like the voice of God and say things like “this is not the way of the Lord” or “The Lord told me…”. Look at all the disasters our world has gone through because of it. Careful people. Even with good intentions we can be misled. We remain sinners saved by grace and God instructed us to be part of a community with which we can grow in maturity, encourage, challenge and be challenged. Be smart. Read your Bible, learn it, understand it… and STUDY it IN its CONTEXT. The Bible says that the Lord calls His sheep and they know His voice. But, His voice sounds a lot like the Word of God. For this reason, test EVERY spirit against the word of God (1 John 4:1). And remember that as you follow God (and pray and/to read the Bible to understand it), it will bring division (Mt 10:34-37; Lk 14:26). So, don’t be surprised that as you learn to let your yes be yes and your no be no, that some people will not be happy with you. But that’s ok. Even Paul in 1 Corinthians, had to justify his actions to the Church of Corinth because they were judgemental of him. And he used the Word of God and sound thinking to explain his stance. If Paul experienced the need to do this at times before believers, do not be surprised when your time comes also to find people disapprove of your obedience to the Word of God… even in the church. And if we are going to go there, Jesus had issues with the leaders of the Jewish faith and He had come to fulfill the Law. God looks for obedience to HIM first (1 John 5:3).
Jesus treated Sabbath differently and he treated people in opposition to the religious culture He was within. But, by doing so, He was still obeying God’s will and following the Truth of Scripture. As we learn to decipher between works and worship in the way we serve the Kingdom, I think that in our study of Scripture, we must also differentiate between culture and Scripture. As written in John 15, Jesus came to do His Father’s will and we are to imitate Christ. If in the beginning was the Word and the Word was Christ, then our instruction should come from the Scriptures first, not from people. Don’t allow anyone to guilt you into saying “yes” when you mean “no”. If you are unsure, pray before giving your answer. Just like Gideon, sometimes God will require us to do something we do not want to do, but He also gives us the grace to do so. For this reason, when you accept something, keep in mind that the person you are saying “yes” to your Father in Heaven to do His will, not the will of man.
Obedience and Conviction
There will be many times when obeying God will look like honoring our elders and the authority set above you as instructed by Scripture, keep your basics and ask God for wisdom and discernment because there are wolves dressed in sheep’s’ clothing in the church. This said, we must remember that the people set above you as authorities are under the same grace from God; needing mercy from Him every day also. So, don’t expect perfection or feel offended by every mistake are made from the pulpit. As Jesus has grace for us, don’t forget to exercise it also towards others. If you want to find perfection, look to Christ, not people. By definition, people are imperfect sinners; so if you keep them to a standard of perfection, it is a guarantee: they will disappoint. In their role of leadership, they are learning also. They will sometimes inspire and at others fail. Don’t let that shock you… if you, in your fallen nature have the potential to make mistakes or misunderstand a part of Scripture for a season of your life or confuse concepts of theology at others, don’t hold a human who was granted with the responsibility of leadership complete disapproval for doing what you do yourself. Remember to keep an eye out for the staff in your own eye.
Pastors’ mistakes don’t necessarily make them unworthy of your respect and submission. They should (as anyone) have your respect and unconditional love regardless of the wrong done, but as a follower of Christ, you know this already. But for submission, it is a command and you need to go to Scripture to see how God wants you to approach this in any context you may be in. God commands us to pray for our leaders. There is a reason. The enemy is here to kill, steal and destroy, and the church is the bride of Christ. For this reason, it would make sense that they experience a different kind of attack and stress than you might be. So, have compassion, and remember that they have their own fights to wrestle through even if they come with a smile every Sunday and the right advice every time you ask.
If you have an issue with the authority above you, instead of scoffing, gossiping and complaining about what you would do better if you were in their shoes, PRAY for them as instructed in the Basics. And if, after praying you have a nagging feeling to need to address a specific issue with an elder, follow Scripture to understand how to approach this person (1 Timothy 5:1).
But at the same time, remember 1 Corinthians 14 and in Romans were the variation of convictions according to the Holy Spirit is discussed as varying from one person to another. Paul is clear that we have freedom and we need to be watchful of what we impose to others and how we impact others by our actions or omission of actions (1 Corinthians 10:29-31 to 1 Cor. 11:1)
I am writing this bit on authority, because I want you to take a step back and look at the people whom you may feel are asking too much from you at church. I encourage you to have perspective on them, and remember their humanity and the place that God holds in this picture. In my experience, perspective will keep you sober minded and help you to critically address this feeling of guilt that you may have from feeling the need to say “no”. Feelings are not always right. So, don’t let them constantly govern your decisions even if it pleases some people. Look to please God first. And God wants you and your time! So, as you serve, make sure that you are acting from a place of worship and not of guilt-driven righteous living. Remember that many will prophecy in Jesus’ name and God will not recognize them (Matthew 7:22-23). Your works will not save you. God sent Jesus to do the perfect work because you could not. Loving God and walking humbly with Him will (Micah 6:8).
About that journal entry
God is a Personal God. He wants a relationship with us. And when we spend time with Him and draw near to Him by spending alone time with Him (James 4:8), reading Scripture and praying, in this one very special space (called “quiet time” or “prayer closet” – Mt 6:6) where we intentionally can interact with Him and He draws nearer to us and reveals more of His Truth to us. In my experience and from what I have observed, sometimes, He reminds us that He loves us, sometimes He gives us new perspective regarding hidden Truths in the Bible, at others, He challenges our perspectives. Some of those moments also look like us ranting, asking too many questions, and being frustrated with God and the state of our lives and we do not seem to receive responsiveness from His side. And some of those moments, we spend time praying and declaring the Truth of God by telling Scripture back to God regarding specific situations.
It’s a relationship. So, just like in any genuine and deep relationship, all veils of intimacy are removed one by one as we learn the beauty of God and learn to receive His love, grace and mercy towards us. Trust takes a while to build. For some, in their walk, it comes right away, for others, it takes time, lots of mistakes along the way and it also requires the counsel of others to help us address varying emotions or thoughts we may have towards ourselves or others that we project onto God.
For those who have received Christ as their personal Savior, you know, like me that Jesus is alive; that He sits and the right hand of God and intercedes for us. You know that God hears us when we pray as mentioned in 1 John 5:14.
Remember the Gospel. Remember that Jesus really does LOVE you; He cares about you. God sent His son Jesus so that the broken relationship caused by sin may be restored. He did that on His own initiative. He took care of EVERYTHING. We have a religion where we do not earn the approval of God, we are granted the gift of sonship or daughtership only by saying “Yes, I receive the gift of Salvation. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God”. No sweat, nothing to prove. Just plain belief Jesus Christ the Lord. When Jesus was crucified, one of the criminals asked if he could be with Jesus in Heaven, and He said yes! On that cross, that man had no time to act in a way to earn God’s approval by doing good works. God is good. He is gracious. He takes care of it all. And this man is in Heaven with Jesus right now, because He believed.
So, about your performance. It holds a different value to God. He does not need it. He receives it… but at the end of the day, what we do is an investment in eternity (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). So, our actions become a partnership motivated by gratefulness and obedience rather than obligation and necessity to perform. This said, we should do everything with excellence that the only thing people have against us is our relationship with God; so slacking and being apathetic are not God glorifying behaviors (Ecclesiastes 9:10;2 Corinthians 8:7; Philippians 19:9-10).
More than performing or serving Him, God wants us and our devotion to our first love: Him! While we should not omit that faith without works is dead, we need to remember that God, in His mercy and grace sought us when we were still not aware of the beauty, majesty and tangibility of God in our lives.
And I really get the impression that the place from which we serve the Lord, should not be to please those around us or make sure that people’s temporal situations get better but to bring glory to God as an act of gratefulness for what He has done for us on the cross. I feel like the motivation for serving should be the love that we have for Him and the freedom to live for Him and serve Him. I feel like this obligation approach can be connected to the concept of law, rather than the gift of love granted by God through Jesus.
For me, all this brings to light the passage the passage that says: “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”. As you live a life where you make Him your priority, before serving in any context, make sure that God remains the centre of your life (and schedule) and as serving opportunities come, remember that God already won the war. That He picked you when you could not help yourself for His glory alone. So, if He could do that for you, He can do it for everyone else. As you serve, remember that you are in the passenger seat getting to do what you have been graciously blessed with talent to do as act of worship to Him. He molded you with these gifts because it pleased him to see you excel in them. God loves you and as you delight in Him, you will learn to love and appreciate yourself too and enjoy sharing these gifts even more. That’s the God we serve: a God who delights in us and gives good things to His children.
Now, I encourage you to spend time with God ask Him what He thinks of your schedule and why?
If you are not familiar with spending time with God, I could tell you how to approach your quiet time with the Lord or I could encourage you to seek for a hidden treasure and draw near to God. So, let me put you on a quest my friend.
The Word of God says that whatever is pure, honorable and of good repute to fill our minds with these things. It also says to make disciples of all nations; which consequently means that we are to be disciples of someone else who imitates Christ. So, here are some resources that may help you on your quest to learning to spend time with God and learn to hear His voice:
- Read your Bible. Start with the New Testament; in there you will find lots of practical information about prayer and seeking God’s will.
o Take the time to ruminating on passages that talk about prayer (days or weeks or months!) and learn to understand what God is really communicating. For example, to learn how to pray, you could go to Matthew 6:9-13. I remember reading this for such a long time and praying and learning to understand all that this implied.
I heard someone say that he does not desire to read through the Bible once in his lifetime but he desires to let the Bible through him at least once in his lifetime. I agree. Reading the Bible should not be a rat-race but a careful treasure hunt where each new find can become one of your most prized possessions.
- Asking insight from different people in your church or environment who seem to reflect the character of Christ and have shown wisdom as well as the fruits of the Spirit
- Book: How to Pray by R.A. Torrey (amazing resource!)
- Honestly, just google on Google or Youtube: Quiet time and listen to varying perspectives. But in your research, remember that a strong connection to Bible reading should be part of their advice. Just do research, like for anything else that fascinates you.
- Buy, borrow or rent books on the topic from people who seek to help people understand what Scripture is saying and desires to see people honoring God with their lives.
Now, if I show you this journal entry again. This time, what would you answer when faced with this question?
My child, it is not your works that I want, it’s you.
Your works are just a method I use to love you, to show you your worth in my eyes. I know that you, doing this gives you a sense of satisfaction and you find joy in serving Me; so I let you be led by my Spirit to serve Me.
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Ignite in me a flame that never fades; a flame that only burns stronger.
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What are you ready to lose to follow me this way?
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Your answer goes here.
P.S. Please don’t take this journal entry as a reflection of someone who has it all together or perfectly walks with God. I go through seasons of struggle with dry spells and frustrations with God and my life situation just like everybody else. But I do know that my relationship with God is very real as with any other person I would call friend and I do fight to make Him the centre of my life even if I don’t always do it perfectly. Sometimes, I’m ecstatic of spending intentional time with Him, at others, I have to kick myself. It is truly a battle to remain faithful to God. But amidst the back and forth of fighting to be closer to God and remaining disciplined in my pursuit of Him, I am confident that we have the victory at the end of the day. So, while I tug-o-war in my walk with Christ, I have peace that nothing can separate me from the love of God because He paid the price once and for all and what God gives He does not take away.
