Daily Lift: Make Him Lord!
Titus 3:5
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
We are human beings……..not human doings. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God,” “We love Him for He first loved us,” and “It is by grace you are saved.” More Scriptures affirm that we can do nothing to earn God’s love, acceptance, approval, or salvation. Our salvation comes by hearing the Word of God and believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who lived, was crucified, died, was raised from the dead on the third day, and then ascended into heaven to sit down at the right hand of God.
Since all of this is true, then why do we feel the need….no obsession….to DO things that will get God’s attention, approval, and love? Some say it is because we think of God in terms of our parents, and if our parents’ love and approval were based on performance, we transfer that over to God. Some say we are to serve God, for the Bible says to go to every nation and make disciples of all men. Still others feel the need to serve at their home church in every way possible to feel important and needed. The truth is that we are to serve in our local churches, loving our neighbors as ourselves out of love for God, not to please Him. Many things please God, but being so busy doing things for Him keeps us from spending time with Him, which is not one of them.
This is what I know: I spent years doing many things that I thought would win God’s love, approval, and attention. None of it brought me closer to God…….in fact, when I fell short of my own measuring stick, I felt farther away than ever.
It was when I stopped………literally…….and sat quietly in His Presence without praying, talking, singing, speaking in tongues, or arguing with Him about anything and everything that He drew closer to me. It was in those silent moments that I was able to let go of the mindset that I had to perform to get His love and attention.
How? When you are quiet in God’s Presence with no agenda, you can feel His love for you……bigger, more intensely, and without the distraction of “doing” for Him. The reality is that He walked with Adam in the cool of the day because He loved fellowshipping with His creation. We are His creation as well, and He wants to be a priority in our lives, not through service, but through our time.
I am not saying that serving in your local church is wrong or bad, for it is in that place that you take root, holding your tree in place when the storms of life pass by and try to knock you over. It is a place for community and support. I speak from experience: you need both… for it is not your deeds that build a relationship with Him, but making Him the Lord over your life.
