How well are you performing what you have been given by the Lord to do, a trick question if there ever was one, for if we answer, “Quite well,” then all humility has fled from us, if the answer is “Not well at all,” then it sounds as if we are not interested in becoming profitable servants. The answer of course is “As well as He allows me too,” for then we have placed every work that is done through us in the capable hands of the Lord.
The question stands though, are you performing any works solely for the glory of God, with no other intent or purpose behind your actions. My brothers and sisters, we do not become holy by imitating Christ, we become holy by worshipping God, then we are as Christ is in the highest regard of the word. We know that all of our works are as filthy rags, (Isaiah 64:6) we know that we can do nothing unless we abide in the vine, which is Christ (John 15:5) and yet, how often do we pray for something and then just sit back and wait, when the answer was quite clear even when we were still in prayer over the matter. Our Lord provides everything we need according to His riches in glory, (Phil. 4:19) but we need to ask, we need to be constantly worshipping and following the leads that He has placed before us.
Think on this, why were some healed only by the touch of faith, like the woman in Matthew 9:20-22, why were others healed simply with words, while some were told to go and wash in the pool, or afterwards to either perform a deed or stop doing what they had been doing. Because we are all individuals. Was the one leper out of ten full of more faith that he returned to give thanks, were not all ten healed? Sometimes for the blessings of the Lord to be poured out upon us, we must act, and that action must be done in total faith and obedience. Think here on the master of many who at first refused to go and wash in the Jordan River, each of us serve the same Lord, but what He requires from each of us can be vastly different. Here is why I posed the question at the beginning of this letter to you, are you performing that which the Lord has given you to do.
There is an extremely fine line here, for we can spill quite easily over into the land of works, into the place where we seek for honor before humility, instead of putting them in their proper order. (Prov. 18:12) Far too many times believers will bring their petitions before the throne of grace and then leave immediately without waiting for an answer, in a sense, what they are doing is instead of seeking His mercy, they just want Him to fix the problem, to honor their requests so that they will not have to put forth any effort. In a sense, these individuals are going the same way of the world, they want to be enabled, they want to be taken care of without having to perform any work for the reward.
Others are traversing the path of traditions and idolatry, also known as religious service. If they show up every Sunday and listen to the sermon, or repeat the well-known incantations, then Lord will hear them is their belief, when nothing could be further from the truth. “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jer. 17:10) And those works, where do they come from? They come in the form of answered prayers, “Here is what you have asked for, and here is what you must do to receive the answer to your prayers.” In other words my friends, we were saved by grace, but we will be judged by our works.
Did we listen and obey, or did we just offer up our supplications and then sit on our backsides waiting for the doorbell to ring. The heart that serves God is the heart that worships God, it is the heart that works for Him according to His will, there is no such thing as a stagnant Christian. “Here is my request Lord, please, show me what to do.”
