Only One Thing Is Needed

Somewhere along the way, I got off track.



I thought I was just following the Biblical command to let my light shine before men. But the harder I tried--the more I struggled to please God--the less pleasing I became to both God and man.



My light grew dimmer and dimmer. The way grew darker and darker. Why?



Because in my effort to do, I forgot to be. In my pride and misplaced zeal, I made my feeble human efforts more important than God's gift.



In John, chapter six, the crowd had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles in the Bible: the feeding of the five thousand. With an all-too-typical greedy hunger for more, they pursued Jesus across the water, and in His usual frankness, He told them the truth about themselves and why they were really following Him.



They still didn't get it. With the focus still on themselves, they asked: "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (6:28).



His answer is too simplistic for them. And sadly, it's often too simplistic for me.



"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." (6:29)



As much as we like to think that all our vain scurrying and striving is for Him, it's wise to take a closer look. Is it really? Or is it a subtle attempt to somehow make ourselves more acceptable to Him and to others? And perhaps even more palatable to ourselves?



Upon deeper contemplation, I have to confess that too many times my work for the Lord is really just work to make me feel good. A way to bury my sin in a pile of human work. While my head knows I can never earn my way into God's favor or His Kingdom, my heart is slow to follow suit.



My prayer for all of God's family, in the busyness of life, is that we'll take a moment to step back from our "doing" for God. That we'll allow Him to be frank with us and accept the light of truth He sheds on all our works. Only then can we see that even our best work for Him is nothing but filthy rags.



Under His Wings,

Cathy