There have been so many times I have begged God to do what I wanted Him to do. Am I wrong to think I can do that? Are the desires of my heart not important to God’s heart? There have been times when it seemed that way to me. I have asked, and He has given. Does that not prove that He hears and gives to those who believe in Him and come to Him with humility, simply asking for that which we think is best for us? But how do we really know that what we ask for is what is best for us? When my child begged for a video game, it was often my job to say “no”, simply because I knew something that child did not know–the game was not going to be a positive influence in his life. What if, as children of God, He knows that what we ask for–the thing that we are convinced is best for us–is truly not what is best for us? And isn’t it common for me to say to God, “But God, I love you! I have spent my life serving you. Won’t you please come join me in this thing that I want so much?”
Recently, my youngest granddaughter asked me if I would meet with her weekly to read the Bible together and discuss it. Of course, I said yes! As we read Galatians, where the apostle Paul essentially calls out the people in the Galatian church for believing that they had to behave in a certain way to please God. Chapter 3 is all about the argument of which is most important, or which should come first: Faith or Good Works? This question still seems to plague Christians today. Even those who have not fully embraced the idea of becoming a follower of Jesus can be heard to say, “I am not a good enough person to follow Jesus,” or “I am already a good person. I don’t need Jesus.”
According to Galatians 3, being a follower of Jesus has little to do with what we do, but everything to do with what Jesus has already done. I get the message from what I read in the Bible that He is not looking for good people. He is looking for people who are ready to surrender control of their lives and let Him take control. Not because He is “power-hungry,” but because only He can see the eternity in front of us and know what is best for us even when we can’t. I have come to understand the meaning of God’s Sovereignty in my life. He controls everything for my good because He loves me. That means that he is in control of everything that happens in my life (in the world, actually). He doesn’t cause bad things to happen, but when they do happen, and they will happen–He has the power to stop it. So why doesn’t He? Because he knows something we don’t know. And He wants us to trust Him. So, when things come into my life that I don’t like, don’t understand, and don’t want, am I supposed to shrug my shoulders and say, “Oh well, this must be God’s Will for me?” No, I don’t think so. I think He wants me to fall on my knees before Him and say, “God, this is too much! I can’t handle this! This is breaking my heart! But I trust you. I know that you are still on your throne and in control. I know you can take this away through your power, but if you don’t, I know it is because you know something I don’t know. I know that you can take what Satan perpetrates against me for evil and somehow use it for good. God, I don’t want this, I don’t like this, I don’t understand this, but I trust you. I know you love me, God, and I love you. So, I will release my will to your will. I know I can rely on your strength when I have none.”
Getting back to Galatians 3, The Message version, (which I know is a paraphrase, not a translation, but I don’t care because sometimes it gives me clarity that I don’t get from a translation!) says this in verse 11: “Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.” I love that. Another way to say it might be, “Inviting God to do things with me instead of accepting his invitation to do things with him.” I have spent much of my life doing things for God. I thought that was what his followers were supposed to do. But this is what I have learned. If I enter into whatever God is doing, the stress of living in a world filled with evil becomes so much easier to navigate. If I ask God to reveal His desires to me and to help me embrace them as my own, my heart begins to see what God sees. I start to care about what he cares about. I begin to realize that being a follower of Jesus is not so much about what I do, but what he has already done. And all those good things that I do? I will still do them, but not because I think they will impress God and earn me a spot in Heaven. I will do them because his love for me compels me to love others. It compels me to serve others. It compels me to be like Jesus.
The debate between faith and works is largely moot, really. It comes down to the fact that if you truly have faith, the works will be evident in your life. If you are trying to work your way to Heaven but your faith is weak, it will be a long road. The good works should naturally spring out of a heart of faith. The equation should be Faith=Works. Without faith, our works will fall on rocky ground and will not take root. They will wither and die over time. But if our good works come from a heart of faith in God, they can become a legacy for generations to come.
I like the way Proverbs 3:5-6 says it: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”