We are a doing people. I just had a conversation with a lady getting ready for a lunch here at the church. She could not stand being idle. She informed me that she needed to be working and wanted to be working. I know there are some lazy people but for the most part I think people like pulling their own weight.
This translates into the Christian life. We like to do. There are endless activities you can get involved in most churches. There are Bible studies to go to, mission trips to take, meetings to participate in, events to plan and to attend, classes to teach, retreats and conferences to be present at. There is always something to do.
Here is what I have learned in my own life and seen in the lives of others as well. We might be working hard at doing and be involved at doing while not enjoy being a child of God. It is even possible to do things for God but not have the heart of God. Like the man I talked to today who simply told me how exhausted he felt because he and his family are always doing. My counsel included more abiding in Christ and less doing.
This can be seen in churches all over the place. People are busy doing but they are exhausted or disgruntled. Some serve out of resentment or a sense of duty. Few people have the joy of Christ in them as they serve. [Jn 15:10-11] Where is the focus on being the people of God and enjoying fellowship with Him in contrast to just doing for Him?
So let me ask you a few questions. How would you characterize your relationship with Christ and serving Him? Is it a struggle? Do you constantly feel the strain and pressure of needing to do more? Are you serving from the abundant strength God supplies or are you exhausted? Do you resent the never-ending stream of activities at church? Are you over committed? Have you lost a sense of joy in worship and service for Christ?
If you have then maybe you are suffering from doing too much and not being a child of God and resting in Him. [Jn 15:1-5] has always been a mysterious passage. As a teen I could never fully understand what John was getting at. Now I feel like I understand a little more clearly. As we rest in Christ and abide in Him, we bear fruit. Yet we read or apply that passage more like this. Have a quiet time and then go get busy. Yes we are to have a quiet time but I must fully rely on Christ all throughout the day as well as in my quiet time. I must enjoy the fellowship of His company in solitary moments but also as I am working, counseling, preaching, praying, leading, or planning. I need to enjoy the Lord. I need to rest in Him. I need to rely on Him more to continue working in me and producing joy in my heart.
When I serve or I am called to do, I need that doing to come from the overflow of my heart and through His strength rather than hitching up to the harness of doing and gutting my way through it. Like right now. I admit I feel the pressure to write blogs because people tell me they read them and God uses them. There have been times I have sat down to write but had nothing overflowing in my heart.
As I write this, I write from a heart that is being renewed from some of the greatest fellowship I have had with Jesus over the past twenty years. I feel Him working in me and naturally that deep inward work is working its way out. I am not writing today out of obligation. I am writing out of sense of one who has been with the Lord and I am being transformed. It is an ongoing process of being transformed.
I challenge you today to slow down and be a child of God instead of just doing more. Be in love with Him. Abide in Him. Rest in His love. Do what He calls you to do and not feel guilty if He does not lead you to get involved in everyone’s program, study, or ministry. Do only what God leads you to do. Rediscover joy that comes from relating to the Lord on more intimate levels. Let His work in you strengthen you for the work He leads you to do outside of you.
I want to be before I do. I want more fellowship and more abiding and in turn trust Him to bear the fruit. I do not want to live my life struggling and straining for more fruit when as I abide in Christ it will be a natural by product.
I have not seen a great deal of this in my own life. I have said yes to things when I should have said no. I have volunteered my time for things He never called me to. I have seen over commitment hinder my relationship with the Lord. I have resented times of over commitment. Life felt out of balance. I ministered in exhaustion and there was NO FRUIT.
Now, I can say I am able to minister out of the overflow of what God is doing in my heart. I love this place He is leading me. It is so much easier. I have more peace. I am not anxious because I know it is not up to me. It is up to Christ in me. I ask Him to take over. More surrender and more trusting Him to work His work.
I pray this helps and God would set many of you to focus more on being than doing. If we could get to that place in our lives we would be a more productive people and just as importantly a more joyful people. Remember, more being than doing.
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