God's Part; Our Part

     What would you say if your daughter said, “Mommy, pleeeease clean my rooooom! I don’t know hoooow!” I think you would agree, a wise parent wouldn’t jump in and do the work for her, but, after a sigh (and probably an eye-roll), would work alongside her and teach her. Most children would rather we just do it; humans are naturally lazy. But we Mommies know a better way.

I wonder how God, our Father, feels about the way we approach Him with our requests? In Isaiah 58:6-11, God explains what He expects from us if we want Him to hear us:

“’…this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
    lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
    and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
    and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
    and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
    and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
    and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.

Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
    ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

‘Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
    Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
Feed the hungry,
    and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
    and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring.’”

        How often do we come to God, list in hand, with all the things we hope He will do? And rightfully so. He has encouraged us to come to Him. He’s our loving Father. But God also invites us to participate in building His kingdom. He could miraculously solve all the world’s problems, but instead He wants us to partner with Him. To take ownership in His kingdom. To belong to something bigger than ourselves. To learn and grow by our involvement in what He’s doing.

So, when we pray for our friend to be saved, maybe we should ask God for an opportunity to speak to this person about his/her soul. God does His part; we do our part. When we ask God to meet someone’s financial need, we might consider a contribution. Are we praying about someone’s health problem? How can we offer practical support?

God does His part; we do our part.

What about our own needs? Often, if we look around, we will see that God has already provided resources to meet our needs, but He’s not going to do all the work. We have to put forth an effort. And, generally, He’s not into quick fixes.

       

        Anything God asks us to give, He repays with blessings we cannot even imagine, often in forms we may not recognize. He multiplies our meager offerings and does amazing work with them. Ironically, He asks us to give what He has given us, then gives us more. Others are blessed by our obedience, but so are we! It takes trust.

God cares about the hungry, the naked, and the oppressed. What if every professing Christian dedicated a percentage of his income, as the Spirit leads, to feeding the hungry, watering the thirsty, clothing the naked, and defending the oppressed?

We could change the world.

God does His part; we do our part.

by joyce hague