Living 4 Him

Whatever life gives us opportunity to do, let us do it well. Let us do it to the best of our ability, then leave the results to Christ.  Phillip Keller

Eyes followed Jesus nearly every place he went.  Eyes seeking his wisdom.  Eyes amazed by his miracles.  Eyes showing gratitude for healing received. And unfortunately, eyes finding fault with his uncommon methods. 

Every gospel contains accounts of Jesus healing on the Sabbath and receiving opposition from church leaders for breaking the Sabbath rules. The sudden joy experienced with instant healing was overshadowed by the stigma of “doing work” on the Sabbath.  In John 5:17 (New Living Translation), Jesus defends his actions by saying, “My Father is always working and so am I.”

In this straightforward statement, Jesus tells us so much more:

“God never stops working for the good of this world.”

“Any time is the right time to do good works.”

“I work for my Father, so I, too, must do good work.”

“Good has no limit. It must be done at all times in anyplace.”

The Contemporary English Version of John 5:17 expresses God’s constant state of work in this way. “My Father has never stopped working, and this is why I keep on working.”

This active view of God gives us great comfort when we consider the needs of this world and the work that must be done.  We are not alone in our efforts.  God is always working for us, working with us, working in us.  The work of the Lord is sovereign; the absolute best of all work that can be done. And God is always doing it!

A few weeks ago I tried a new soup recipe.  I was a little leery because the ingredients simmering together had never been combined before in my kitchen–butternut squash, tomatoes, and green chiles.  I grew nervous wondering if these flavors would really blend appropriately for the right flavor.  Finally, I decided that I just had to trust the author of the recipe and let each ingredient do its work.  And the result was quite delicious, by the way!

This scenario describes God’s ultimate hope for us. He is the author of our recipes, giving us the exact ingredients we need to live this life.  He is the one who is always at work through us, and our job is to trust him to mix and blend, to simmer and stir, to create and thoroughly cook the best dish possible.

In John 6, people wanted to know more about what God wanted them to do.  What was their work on this earth?  Jesus answered in verse 29:  “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 

Could it be that easy?  Believe? Believe is the verb that Jesus used most often when teaching throughout the gospels.  And it is through believing that his life can be manifested through ours.  We believe in the goodness and compassion Jesus showed others and so we do the same.  We believe in the God that Jesus tells us about and so we trust him.  We believe that Jesus died to forgive us, so we forgive others.  Believing is the work that leads us to God’s purposes for us on this earth.

So let your eyes continue to follow Jesus in this life, giving the best that you have to offer him and believe, that the God who is always working will work through your life, too. 

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):

Jesus talks more about the work that we should do in the world to a crowd that had followed him to Capernaum. Read John 6: 27-40 to get a sense of God’s work for us and to better understand how Jesus is working for us as the Bread of Life.

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world):

Do you believe God is working here on earth?  Look for ways that you see God working in the world and when you discover new ways, thank him for it!