To Do or To Be... that is the question
Galatians 5:22-23 Mark 11:12-26 Philippians 4:8-9 Psalm 46:10 John 14-15 John 21:15-19 Deuteronomy 31:6 Hebrews 13:5 Matthew 28:20 Joshua 1:9 Luke 6:40 Romans 5:8 2 Peter 3:9 Esther 4:14
Many times, we think God calls us to do something for Him. As if we can please Him more, than what we are doing, can please Him. The argument in our heads sounds like, "Now that I am Christian, what is God's will for my life? Am I in His will or out of His will? What does God want me to do for Him?" As if we are earning something from Him by doing this thing for Him.
These arguments swirl around all our decisions in life. Do I buy this car? This house? Do I leave my job? Take this new job? Do I move to this state? This city? This side of town? Do I marry this person? Do I stay married? Stay single? Do we have children? How many? Do I homeschool my children? Put them in public or private school? Is it Christian based? Do I go on this mission trip? Which country? Do I serve on this team for church? Is being a greeter my right role? And on and on and on...
I am no different and have these arguments with myself and God regularly. And yet many times, God seems silent. He gives no indication as to the decisions we should make. No confirming word. No sign.
Then, we are left with trying to discern clues as to which way we think God is telling us to go. Which decision to make. What steps to take. In these situations, we are reverting back to a relationship where we are trying to earn God's approval and affection.
And yet, God is calling us to something more intimate and simpler. He is calling us to just be with Him as He is being with us and then to be with others as He is being with us.
The entire Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is about God revealing Himself to all creation and offering mankind a personal relationship with Him, to be with Him forever. Genesis 1 starts the revelation of God Himself and Revelation 22 ends with that revelation fulfilled for all eternity. To see Him. Hear Him. Love and live with Him. To walk, talk, and enjoy a loving relationship with the God of all creation. Like a father and child. Like a trusted friend. Like a beloved spouse.
What do we do, with these intimate relationships? We live with them. We do life. We be with them as they are being with us.
This is our inheritance.
Not streets of gold. Not mansions. Not being cured of death, disease, aging, injury, brokenness, etc.
Just to be together.
Yes, we will be resurrected, healed, restored, reconciled, gifted. And we will see the magnificence of the Lord God and of His Kingdom Heaven and everything there. Yet, God is offering something more intimate to us. He is offering Himself and a relationship with Him for all eternity. That's a far better inheritance than a big house with a gold driveway, and a body that is perfect and never dies.
If this is true, then we will see this offered-simplicity in the very life of Jesus with His followers and with His relationship with God, while on earth. If Jesus is God in a bod - God in a human body - and Jesus is the perfect human reflection of God, then we will see and hear Jesus convey what God is offering to us.
Jesus used very simple language and examples to explain the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. He used simple language to represent the intended relationship between mankind and Creator God. He called God Father and told us to call God Father. Jesus could have called the God of all creation, time and space, many names and yet Jesus calls God Father. That sets the relationship expectations.
Let's consider some of the language Jesus used to represent what our relationship is to be.
Follow me (walk with me)
Abide in me (stay close to me, connected to me, live with me)
Go and teach others what I taught you (as you go through life, share with others what I shared with you)
Forgive others as I forgave you
Help others
Make disciples (as you share you will make students, make followers)
Feed my sheep (feed my people)
I am with you always
These are all living-life-together sayings. These are ordinary, everyday actions. This is life lived together. In concert. Sharing and giving and living together.
Jesus said this relationship is part of a journey - a process - where, as we walk and engage with Him, we will become like Him. Over time, we become like the teacher. (Luke 6:40) We don't surpass the teacher. We mimic the teacher. As a child mimics what a parent does and says. As we live with Jesus and He with us through His Spirit, we begin to reflect His character through what He shares and imparts to us.
Of all creation, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and animals and beasts and all creeping things, the Triune God created mankind in His image - to reflect the Triune God as the moon reflects the sun. (Genesis 1: 26-28) The moon does not become the sun. Yet, the moon was created to reflect the sun, in order to be a light in the night sky. We are not becoming equal to God, nor will we ever. We reflect God and His character. We reflect the source of light. We reflect His character.
And how do we reflect God's character of which Jesus perfectly reflected? Through the power of God's Spirit of which He imparts to us when we accept His free offer of salvation. The gift of salvation that Jesus paid for with His life. A salvation from an eternal life lived without God and all God brings and restrains in humanity and in creation. Without God, there is chaos and death. With Him there is order and life.
How do we know God imparted His Spirit into us, when we turned from our selfish lives to accept God's gracious life? How do we know that God's Spirit is with us at all times? What evidence do we see that the Holy Spirit is with us, and we are reflecting Jesus; we are reflecting God?
When we see God's character fruiting through us. When we see the fruits of the Holy Spirit. When we see something beyond our ability happen through us while engaging in a circumstance. Some of those fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Think of it this way. Jesus said He is the vine - the true vine of God - and we are the branches on His vine. Branches don't cause fruit to happen. Branches hold the fruit that the vine produces through the essence of the vine flowing through the branches. As we stay connected to Jesus, as we walk along with Him learning from Him, He produces God's character through us, as a vine produces fruit.
The branches don't eat the fruit. The fruit does not last forever on the branch. The branches hold the fruit until someone picks it and enjoys the fruit. If we are a dead branch that does not produce fruit, God the vinedresser (John 15:1) will trim off that dead branch to ensure what killed the branch doesn't spread to the healthy branches. If a branch bears a lot of fruit, God prunes that branch to keep it healthy and actively producing.
God produces the fruit of His character through us, as evidence He is with us, and for others to consume. The Holy Spirit knows which fruit to produce based on the circumstances we enter into through our daily lives, so we bring God into the world in a nourishing way to bring transformation. Peace into turmoil. Joy into anxiety. Self-control into selfishness. Patience into justification and retribution. Love into hate and hurt. Kindness into moments when people attack you. Respect to the disrespectful. And on and on.
For instance, when we encounter a chaotic situation where everything is out of control and yet we remain unexplainably ordered, chances are, the Holy Spirit fruited God's peace through us. When we are with someone unkind, hateful, selfish and we are justified to react equally yet, we show kindness to that person, the Holy Spirit fruited God's kindness through us. When we long to step into a promise of God or we see how we can control the situation for our benefit, and yet we wait on God and surrender our control, the Holy Spirit has fruited patience and self-control through us. (Patience will kill selfishness.)
We read about these fruits of the Holy Spirit and believe they will be permanent abilities within our lives. Perhaps, one day in our journey they will be on this side of eternity. However, perhaps the Holy Spirit decides what fruit is needed, when and how the fruit will be produced in us for a time of need.
Because, while we were still sinners - still enemies of God - God showed us mercy, gentleness, kindness, love, and He exhibited self-control and patience allowing us to come to a saving knowledge of Him when He was justified to leave us in our sinful, selfish state. (Romans 5:8; 2 Peter 3:9)
So, who enjoys the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is produced through us by remaining connected to Jesus? Others. Those God puts into our paths. Those God puts in our lives. Those sheep God is calling. Those people God is revealing Himself to.
Jesus said the primary commandment of God is to love God fully, and love others like we love ourselves. When we love God, staying connected to Jesus, and His Spirit animates our lives to fruit God's character through us, that fruit is loving others. That fruit is feeding His sheep. That fruit is glorifying God.
This is how we be with God as He is being with us.
And so, we can do whatever we find ourselves doing. God uses us to bring the kingdom of God, to earth as it is in Heaven, as we be with God as He is being with us. Emmanuel. God with us.
It is enough to follow Jesus, learn and reflect Him, bringing Him into whatever space or circumstance we find ourselves in. Whatever person we are with. Allow the Holy Spirit to manifest God's presence in the world, through us. In a very intimate and personal way. Circumstance to circumstance. Person to person.
People will see your good works - the fruit of God's character - and give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).
We will be lights because we are reflecting the source of light. We will be the salt, that holds the water of God (the Holy Spirit) into the body of Christ providing refreshment to a God-thirsty world.
We are the light. We are the salt. We are the branches. He is the true source of light. He is the true vine. He causes the fruit. He opens the eyes. He opens the ears. He replaces the heart of stone with a heart of flesh that responds to Him. He saved and is saving. He calls. He is being.
He is Yahweh. We are invited to be with Him, forever.
This gives us such freedom. Freedom to be and do whatever we find ourselves doing in terms of our occupation. We can be child, mother, father, grandparent, etc. We can work in ministry or industry. We can hold whatever position we have for our occupation from entry level to CEO. For we are who God created us to be. We are placed by God. We are gifted and equipped by God. His Spirit is with us fruiting through us, what we need, when we need it, to display God through us. As we bring God into our portion of the world, into our circumstances and to people in our lives. For a time such as now. (Esther 4:14)
And so, go. Live. Work. Be. Loving God fully and gratefully. Loving others out of gratitude for what God did for us, what He is doing for us and through us, as He is being with us. And we are being with Him.
Go. Be. Do.
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Addendum:
As always, God reinforces what He teaches me following a lesson:
John Piper, Light + Truth, How God Speaks to Us
Neighbors with Ali Parsons, Episode 49: Just Start with Ben Williams
Joby Martin, 1 Timothy: A field Guide for the Family of God, week 10, God at Work
A journal entry I wrote for Chauncey in 2010: God Calls Business People to be Part of His Church
