Working with God
Working with God
We said in the previous issue that every person should have a mission in life to carry out. What is this mission?
Man’s mission, without doubt, is work. So what is work? It is
working with God.
When God created man, He gave him to work. And the Apostle says: “I must work… while it is day” (John 9:4). And the Lord Christ Himself says: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). And there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit works in all believers. What is required of you is to work.
There are many kinds of work in life. What matters is working with God.
Everyone works. There are material works, bodily works, evil works, and perishable works that do not last. We are not speaking about these.
Rather, we mean working with God, or the divine work within you.
If you are a person of God, in the image of God, and you work as God works, and God Himself dwells in you, working through you, working with you, and working in you, then you will certainly do the very work of God.
God is invisible, and you may not see His work. But people see the work of God in you. You are His image through which God works.
God works in you and with you. Out of His humility, He does not appear, but gives you to appear and to work. People think that this is your work, while it is the work of God, and you are the instrument of God in the work.
And if God is the One working in you, you will say with the Apostle:
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
He does the works through the visible, manifest human being. The Holy Spirit wants to speak to people, but He wants a mouth through which to speak. So be a mouth that carries the word of the Holy Spirit to people: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matt. 10:20).
Your mission, therefore, is to do the work of God. And what is His work? He “went about doing good.” So be like that.
This doing of good is a general, basic mission for all people, concerning which our teacher James the Apostle says: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Thus your mission is to do good, as much as you are able.
And you do this good through the Spirit of God working in you.
Enter, therefore, into fellowship with the Holy Spirit—fellowship in work.
Make this matter a principle in your life: any work in which God shares with you, do it. And every work in which God refuses to share with you, refuse it.
If you reach this state, God will reveal to you His mission for you. And you ask Him to reveal to you what you should do: “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths” (Ps. 24:4).
The work which you consider to be your mission is the spiritual work.
It is the work of God who “came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
For many work in the Church, but their work is purely administrative, financial, or social, and they have no spiritual work at all.
Administration devoid of spirit causes a person’s spirituality to dry up.
Would that we train those who work in the Church to do spiritual work alongside their administrative work, with spiritual work being the foundation. Let the spiritual character be what distinguishes members of committees, even the altar servers, caretakers, stewards, and servants—all of them spiritual.
So do you have a spiritual work in the Church? Or are you still consoling yourself with some activities you do—social and administrative?
Our fathers the apostles said: “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables,” and they appointed seven deacons for this task. As for themselves, they said: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:2, 4).
And what about those deacons? Did they truly devote themselves only to serving tables?
Scripture says about Stephen, the first of them, that “being full of faith and power, he did great wonders and signs among the people.” And what else? It says that he stood before three synagogues debating with them, and “they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:8, 10).
Thus those deacons did not devote themselves merely to serving tables, but they also had spiritual work in the ministry of the word.
Spiritual work is the foundation of every service. Other matters of organization and administration are indeed required, but they are additional work alongside spirituality, which is the foundation. So what, then, is your spiritual work in the Church? And what is its weight, measure, and importance?
If you do not yet have a spiritual work in the Church, then you have not yet worked in the Church, no matter how active you are.
The work of the Church is the building of the Kingdom. What is your role in its building?
Do not say, “This is the work of the bishop, the priest, and the deacon,” and flee from responsibility, shifting it to others. The policy of shifting responsibility will not save you. You are not merely a spectator in the Church; you are a member of a body. If one member suffers, all the members suffer (Rom. 12).
Unfortunately, there is another group that does nothing, whose only concern is criticizing those who work and talking about their mistakes.
The judge’s robe tempts many, and it is rare to find someone who has not worn it. Everyone loves to judge others. Would that when we wear judges’ robes, we would be like them in not issuing a verdict before investigation, and in giving the one judged a chance to defend himself or explain his position. Instead, they are judgments without basis.
There are also those who think their work is merely to offer suggestions.
These may be merely theoretical suggestions that are not easy to implement practically. Or they may be heavy burdens that such people place on the shoulders of those responsible, demanding from them what is beyond their capacity.
But if you truly want good, bend your shoulder under the yoke and lift the burden with those responsible. Be like Simon of Cyrene, who bent down and carried the cross for Christ when it became heavy.
Do not waste your time in criticism or suggestions, but work. The mission of work is the beneficial, positive mission.
One of the conditions of working with God is that it be with all the heart, all the soul, all the strength, all the will, and all the emotion. For Scripture says: “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jer. 48:10), that is, with laziness or negligence.
Thus the Lord says to the angel of the Church of Ephesus: “I know your works, your labor, and your patience… and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary” (Rev. 2:2–3).
Thus is working with God. Therefore, we see that the Kingdom of God in the age of the apostles “came with power”: “And with great power the apostles gave witness… and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
They did the work of the Lord with all power, with boldness, without hindrance, and with fervor in spirit. When Paul entered Athens and found the city full of idols, “his spirit was provoked within him” (Acts 17:16). And he used to say: “Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?”
And as David said: “Zeal for Your house has consumed me” (Ps. 119:139), meaning that it possessed all his senses and emotions with irresistible power. Thus the righteous do the work of the righteous.
They give the Lord their emotions, their effort, and their time. And what do you give?
Do you give a small part of your free time? Do you give tired, exhausted time? Or is your example Abel the righteous, who offered to the Lord “of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat” (Gen. 4:4)?
Do you give from your abundance, as the widow did? Or do you flee from serving the Lord during busy days and examinations?
Do you give to the work of the Lord from your need—of your time and your health?
Only twelve apostles preached the Gospel to the whole creation, because the matter was not a matter of number, but of a burning heart, tongues as of fire, and souls that do not give themselves rest until they find a place for the Lord and a dwelling for the God of Jacob.
The work of God must also be filled with love—
love for God and for people with all the heart. This love is the difference between dry service that appears as mere formality and burning service. This love makes your spiritual work accompanied by sacrifice and giving, so that you give even yourself.
Working with God is also characterized by faith—
faith in the work itself, its importance and necessity, and faith in God and His intervention in the work to bless it, make its way successful, and bring forth fruit.
This faith grants you confidence and strength, so you do not fail no matter what obstacles arise, as Nehemiah did. He was building the wall of Jerusalem, believed in the importance of his work, and paid no attention to all the resistance and conspiracies, but continued building.
One who has no faith grows weary whenever he encounters a problem and withdraws. He cannot ascend, but fears and retreats, saying to himself by way of excuse: even the Church has problems and troubles.
The believer overcomes the problem and does not let the problem overcome him.
The one who works for God by faith does not set conditions, does not seek a particular place or a special position, but leaves himself in the hand of God, believing in Him and trusting that He will arrange the service by His wisdom, help, and grace. Wherever God places him, he works with a willing heart. He does not seek large churches or famous positions, as though he were building himself (in a wrong way) rather than building the Kingdom.
The one who works with God, even if you throw him into the fire, walks in it content like the three young men, because he walks in it with God. And his motto is: “that I may save some by all means,” even in the fire.
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