”Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.”Genesis 2:7-8
We were not made to sit on our hands. Doing things is in our nature; soon after Adam and Eve were created for God’s pleasure, they were placed in the garden to tend it, to work it, to take care of God’s earth. Work was before the fall, so it is understandable that we want to work, especially when we become new creations. We want to work to spread God’s name and kingdom. When we first get saved, we immediately have a strong urge to share the joy of knowing God with everyone (Luke 8:39; Mark 5:20), and we also, naturally, I hope, find a community of believers and set about doing things because we were made to work, and it makes us happy to be useful.
But there is a way in which activity blinds us to the state of our soul. You’re in church, you throw yourself into the work in the unit you’ve joined, everyone there is your friend, you’re doing all the activities, showing up for all the meetings; you’re so consumed and busy with the duties you are doing in church that you start to judge the state of your soul by the hours you put into “doing God’s work”.
You’ve probably not grown in the love of the Father or in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus or even in sanctification of the Spirit but we may have followed up on 20 new attendees, packaged books and tracts to be distributed far and wide, gathered donations for the less privileged, planned conferences and seminars and so on- and that gives us a sense of fulfilment. you’re too “busy” for self-examination, and since you record so much success in your activity, you assume, naturally, that all is well with you.
But we are meant to serve
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
God does want you to serve; He is on a mission to see every blade of grass on this earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of Christ, and He wants you to labor alongside Him (Matthew 9:37–38). But lest we put the cart before the horse, you should know that He also re-created you in Christ Jesus to do good works. Yes, He wants you to labor for his kingdom, but not before you have spent some time with Him in growth, does he send you out.
This lesson is obvious in the gospels. He didn’t send His disciples out immediately after they were called. He knows that you used to live in the futility of your thinking, darkened in your understanding, and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that was in you due to the hardening of your heart. So, when you hear about Christ, the first focus usually is to be taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. To be taught that with regard to your former way of life, you ought to put it off and be made new in the attitude of your mind (Eph 4:17-24).
This same lesson can be seen in Exodus. Though God’s purpose for Israel was for them to show forth the praise of Him who called them out of Egypt to the promised land and that by driving out the godless people in Canaan. Before they even lifted one sword, He took them first to Sinai to be taught His ways, so that they would be better equipped to work for God’s kingdom. In fact, in Israel’s story, we learn that one may drive out God’s enemy, evangelize, follow up newcomers, be in the choir, teach the teenage church, but without growing in grace and knowledge of Christ, without growing in holiness, you are at risk of God’s wrath! It would seem appropriate to imply that serving God, according to the greatest commandment, is more of a work on the inside than it is an outward activity.
Service will not earn you heaven; it is not an exchange.
“…He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands;nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;” Acts 17:24b-25
Perhaps some of us have been intensely motivated to throw ourselves at labor before growth, the cart before the horse, and it may be because we think that serving God is like working our job. we add value to our employer by the work we do, and then we get paid for our job– that is not how it works with God (Luke 17:7-10). Whatever work we work for God is not because of a need He has, unlike our employers. He needs nothing; since it is He who gives us the desire to serve (Ps 110:3) and then supplies us with power (Phil 2:13) to be strengthened to fulfill the desire to serve (2 Thess 1:11), all this to the end that we become, primarily– spiritually mature (2 Thess 1:12).
Are we not to be active in church so we can focus on our souls?
The point that needs to be stated rather clearly is this: in focusing on your individual spiritual growth, you do the church you attend a greater service, and only then are you most equipped to labor alongside God’s people. If, for instance, you are living out Romans 12:9-21, your good works, obedience, and holiness will bear witness to the saving work of Christ and bless God’s people and the world (1Peter 2:12). Think about it, how do you know that you are glorifying God in your activity? -Or isn’t that why you’re doing it, to glorify God?- The simple answer is this: when you love God by obeying His commandments to love your neighbors, which we’ll be better able to do if we are growing in grace, prayer, bible reading, meditation, etc.
Again, the good works that the LORD wants for you do not, firstly, refer to the activities you do at church to help the services run smoothly or to make church attendees feel loved, no. It is first about your relationship to the Father, Son, Spirit; and the transformation that results from the growth of that relationship– how you think, speak, and live when you are not in church, when you are away from the people you show love and serve because they profess to know God- the people with whom you try to be the best versions of yourself.
So, what is the point?
Your dedication to activities should not be the first and definitely not the only pointer to your profession of faith. God has told you that He values your growth in knowing and loving Him above your activity (1 Samuel 15:22). Serve God, yes, but do it by first growing in grace, presenting your thoughts, words, and actions as a living sacrifice, as evidence of a new life in Christ by His Spirit, turning away from worldliness and daily pursuing after doing God’s holy will. Romans 12:1-2.
