Passionate Grace

“God is not served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ”

Been thinking about this text for a while. Lots of implications but I’ll just give you a little of what I’ve been mulling lately.

God is not as interested in my activity for him as my faithfulness to him. I tend to think the other way…”maybe I haven’t been as faithful as I would have wanted, maybe I haven’t loved him the way I should, but at least I did _____ activity for him. I really helped him out there.” 

God is not served by me as though he needed anything… My service is not needed by God. I am not helping him out in some sort cosmic partnership where God couldn’t do it without me. Any true service springs from a heart consumed with the beauty of God – it springs out of the one who recognizes they are loved with an undeserved love.

Service then becomes worship rather than a way to prove to myself and to God my true worth. And when service is worship I am free from constantly measuring results to evidence my effectiveness in the kingdom. Rather when service is worship my life is caught up in and with Jesus. The results are his work and for his glory.

I am not the hero of the story – He is. So the pressure is off and I am free to delight in Him and to point others to Him as the only one who satisfies the longing heart.