There are days when the energy and enthusiasm for serving God dissipate in the maelstrom of life. Disillusioned by the apparent lack of impact of the Gospel on our neighbours, family, local community, or even ourselves, having the same old sins take hold of us (perhaps having their hooks embedded more deeply than ever), we ask ourselves, "What is the use? Is there really a God after all? My prayer life seems so dry."
Striving by our own endeavours to achieve the work of God, faith has become a religion of good works (however well-intentioned). We have lost the idea of grace - that God has a hold on me and loves me AS I AM, and can use me AS I AM. Our frantic efforts have bordered on convincing ourselves that God's work wouldn't survive without us.
God calls us first and foremost into relationship with Him: a relationship that is founded on His love and faithfulness; a relationship that will not fail because His faithfulness does not melt like the early morning dew under the rays of the midday sun. I am in relationship with God because He first reached out to me and He will sustain me. We can be so busy that we forget that God called us first to BE with Him: we are forever wanting to DO. As we learn to BE with God, we learn how to DO most effectively.
There are two errors that have beset Christians through the ages: one is the belief that God has called us into relationship with Him and we are simply to enjoy that (an empty spirituality); the other is that God has called us to serve Him and we spend our energies running around "serving" (a form of activism). We need to find the balance between the two, where we are refreshed and challenged by BEING with God, in order that we then are nourished and able to DO what He desires.
Gary
April 10, 1994
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