God is focused on relationship. We tend to be focused on activity. He is the One who tells us to "be still" (Psalm 46:10) and to come to Him and rest (Matthew 11:28). We are the ones who are striving to do more.
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Full Transcript Below:
What More Does God Want Me to Do?
by Cindi McMenamin
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 NASB)
Do you ever feel burnt out with all that you’re doing for God? Perhaps your life revolves around ministry or maybe you just wonder sometimes if God’s pleased with you or if you should be doing more.
We live in a culture focused on doing to the point that busyness is our badge of success and multi-tasking in the church is what appears to others—and ourselves—as ultra-spiritual. But although a relationship with the living God produces a desire to obey Him and serve Him, that service results in joy and rest, not perpetual stress!
In my book, When Women Long for Rest, I point out that God would rather have us be with Him than do a bunch of things for Him. I see that in Jesus' response to a man who asked Him about the greatest of all the commandments. Jesus' answer was "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
God is focused on relationship. We tend to be focused on activity. He is the One who tells us to "be still" (Psalm 46:10) and to come to Him and rest (Matthew 11:28). We are the ones who are striving to do more.
Yet, as we spend time cultivating a love relationship with God, we will then know how to serve others and we will be able to discern His gentle voice saying, "This is what I have for you" or "Step in and help her with that." But it will never be at the expense of overlooking our primary responsibilities or feeling over-extended.
Jesus, after all, told His closest followers, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31), not "Let's try to cover even more territory today by working even harder!"
Intersecting Faith and Life:
If you are caring for young children, or working full time, or someone who constantly has your hands full (and who doesn't these days?), let me remind you of these three principles when it comes to doing more for God:
Remember, our works and activity for God are not something we do to earn God's favor. Jesus did enough to secure God's forgiveness and acceptance of us when He gave His perfect life in exchange for ours as a penalty for our sin. Our service, in light of what Christ did for us on the cross, is simply to show our love and obedience to Him. It's our way of saying "I've been freed from the yoke of sin and I have a new master now...it's the Lord Jesus." Serving Him from that mindset brings joy, not stress.
Serve Him out of inspiration, not obligation, and you may find that instead of feeling guilt for not doing enough, you are feeling so very privileged to do the little that you can.
Lord, show us today how to serve You wherever we are, as a way of saying we love You.
Further Reading: Psalm 62.