Good Things vs God Things

by Sharon Stults

Thud! The sound filled the undersized classroom, uncomfortably crowded with a chipped, sagging banquet table filled with fifth grade Pioneer Girls. I actually had a physical sense of my heart sinking. Simultaneously my heart arrived at the ground floor and my mind formed the thought, “Dear me. This is only my third week and I truly am not enjoying this in any way.” True confession: my thoughts were actually far more despairing than that, probably. As my public persona began the weekly session of Bible memorization, crafts and service project plans, I remember private thoughts running along a familiar track. “How do I keep winding up in these fixes, involved in ministries that I have no passion for and interest in?” Now mind you, dear one, I wouldn't have dreamed of saying those thoughts out loud to ANYONE. That would have made me, I thought, a selfish, grumpy Christian, at least, and definitely a wash-up as a pastor's wife. It would be years before I had some answers to those questions.

In John 5:17, 19-20, Jesus says, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working....I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.” Sister, Jesus Himself had to look to see what the Father was doing before He knew what to do. Where did we ever get the notion that we could get involved in anything before checking to see what our heavenly Father is doing? We make false assumptions that if it's a church program or someone has asked us to be involved in something, of course we should hitch our wagon to that star. Then when the star turns out to be a falling star, we're still stuck going down in flames with it!

Being a child of God means you are in a loving relationship with Him. He went to extraordinary effort to seek and save you and make you part of His family. Doesn't it make sense that He wants you to join Him in the family business here on earth? God is looking for tender, sensitive hearts that are listening to Him and discerning His voice and activities. Sometimes we cannot hear Him because we are consumed with doing good things as opposed to God things. I define God things very simply: God's work done in God's timing in God's way. If you are missing even one of those ingredients, you may not be spending your time and resources in the best way possible.

Reflecting over my past, I know now that many times I was missing one of the big three. Sometimes, I should have just said no to things. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there are seasons for everything including a time to die. Sometimes God's things are left undone because we are too busy trying to keep horse and buggy activities or ministries alive. Meanwhile, God is saying, “Um, dear heart, I've actually been driving cars for a number of years now.” Sometimes we discern rightly what God is doing but try to be Holy Spirit junior commandos. We jump out ahead of Him before He can prepare situations and people for the new thing He wants to do. There is also the mistake of lagging so far behind God that by the time we decide that this newfangled thing deserves our attention, He's already moved on to the next thing.

Missing those first two ingredients can lead us to a lot of time wasting and spinning in circles. However, I suspect the most important component to God is doing things His way; filled with the power and fruit of His Spirit. Since God is always and fore-most concerned with our heart condition, it grieves Him greatly to see someone doing His work in season with a wrong attitude. Treating people badly, complaining and whining, a prideful attitude and anything else that doesn't fit into the list of Galatians 5:22 will leave a sour taste in the souls of those we are ministering to. It may even turn some away from the wondrous things God wants to do in their lives.

Stop doing things and then expecting God to bless them. Start watching for what God is already blessing and do those things.

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