GOOD WORK OR GOD’S WORK
A Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
LUKE 10:33
If anyone could understand the temptation to let busyness distract Him from the Father’s activity, Jesus certainly could.
In Luke 10 He told a parable that clearly illustrated this danger. A certain Jewish man was on his way to Jericho when he was brutally attacked by thieves and left to die by the road. First a Levite, then a priest passed by. These were religious leaders; surely they’d show compassion to a wounded person. But they had places to go and appointments to keep, so they passed him by.
Then a Samaritan, despised by the Jews, came along. Of all people, this man had reason to look the other way since the wounded man was his enemy. But wherever he was going could wait, for someone needed his help.
It’s easy to become so busy that you’re oblivious to people in need. Your schedule can become so full of accomplishing good things that you’re no help to the people around you.
God is at work in the lives of your friends, your neighbors, and your family members. He may ask you to interrupt your day long enough to join Him as He ministers to them. Nothing on your agenda, no matter how pressing, is reason enough to ignore the voice of God when He tells you to stop and help. If you’ve become too busy to minister to those around you, ask God to reestablish your priorities so that you don’t miss opportunities to serve Him.
Even Jesus realized that His role was that of a servant (see Matt. 20:28). He never sought to initiate activity for the Father. A servant never sets the agenda; the master does. The servant must be so alert to what the master is doing that whenever the master begins to move in a direction, the servant quickly joins him. Jesus knew His Father so well that He was keenly sensitive to divine activity around Him, immediately recognizing His Father at work.
It’s possible for us to be so busy trying to bring God into our activity that we don’t notice Him at work around us. God seeks to redirect our attention so that we can join Him, but we tend to be self-centered, evaluating everything by the way it affects us. We must learn to view events around us from God’s perspective. Then we’lll see our world very differently. When God brings someone across our path, we’ll look to see whether God is convicting that person of the need for salvation. Perhaps God is comforting someone in sorrow. God might be encouraging one of your friends as he or she faces a challenge. We should then adjust our lives to join God as He works in that person’s life. We ought to live each day with tremendous anticipation as we look to see where God is working around us. As our eyes are opened to His activity, we’ll marvel at His great works.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = overwhelmingly full schedule; 10 = wide open), how much room do you have in your daily routine?
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = definitely wouldn’t; 10 = definitely would), how likely would you be to notice if God wanted to interrupt your plans?
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = definitely wouldn’t; 10 = definitely would), how likely would you be to change your plans if God made you aware of an opportunity to join His work?
Honestly, which best describes your life in relation to God’s will?
□ I never think about God’s will.
□ I try to live a good life and hope God’s pleased with it.
□ I make plans and ask for God’s help to accomplish my daily activities.
□ I seek to know God’s will and then change my life to join the work He’s doing.
What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?
Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.
What does God want you to do in response to today’s study? [Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby (2014). Seven Realities for Experiencing God – Member Book. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]