“My Father is always working, and so am I.”
Jesus in John 5:17
Almost thirty years ago, Henry Blackaby’s book Experiencing God taught me a truth that changed my idea of being sent. Blackaby gave us this challenge: “See where God is working in your world – and join Him in that work.”
Jesus said “My Father is always working, and so am I.” (John 5:17)
My definition of a Christ Follower is simple. A Christ Follower is someone who does what Jesus does and obeys what Jesus teaches.
The Father is always at work. The Son is always at work. The Spirit is always at work. That means as a Christ Follower, I need to learn to see where God is working in my world and join Him in that work.
God is not asking me to start the work. He is not asking me to figure out where to work. He is already at work! And He invites me to join Him. He invites me to partner with Him. He invites me to participate in His work in my world.
I grew up with a different mindset. I was taught “If it is going to be, it is up to me!” I was taught to make my best plan, and then work like it all depended on me, and pray like it all depended on God. My prayers went like this:
“Hey God – I made this great plan. I have worked really hard on it. It is my plan. Original with me. Would you please join me in my plan? Would you please come and bless my plan?”
If you have tried that approach, let me ask you one question. How is that working for you?
Here is what I am learning. God does not join me. He invites me to join Him.
God does not bless my plan.
He invites me to join what He is already blessing.
Proverbs 19:21 tells us “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” I have wasted so much time making my plans! Multiple plans. Elaborate plans. Well intended plans. Even some original plans! But if it is only the Lord’s plan that will prevail, why don’t I join Him in that plan?
All the while that I am asking God to bless my plan, He is standing nearby, inviting me to join Him. He is saying “I am already at work over here – why don’t you come this way?” He is asking “I am already blessing this – why don’t you come and join me?”
This truth took me years to learn. God never joins us. He invites us to join Him.
Blackaby adds “We don't choose what we will do for God; He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us.”
So what if we took the time to discern where He is already at work and join Him in what He is already doing?
I see God teaching this lesson to the young missionary Paul. Paul was a man who always had a plan. Before his conversion, his plan was to defend Judaism by killing every Christ follower he could find. After his conversion, his plan was to study Christianity so he could teach others. After his time in Antioch, God sent him out with Barnabas to plant churches. Again, Paul begins making plans to go to the area known as Asia Minor – which is modern day Turkey. In Acts 16, he is charging full steam ahead with is plan – when God stops him in his tracks and sends him to Macedonia instead. There he meets Lydia, and she and her household are saved, and the church of Philippi is born.
What is the point? Paul almost missed God’s plan because he was so busy pursing his own plan. He had a good plan. But he did not have the God plan. It was only after giving up his plan that He was able to see that God was calling him to a different plan altogether.
How many plans have you made that were good plans, but not God’s plan? How much time have you spent working your plan, but not the plan of God?
Catholic monk Thomas Merton said it this way.
“People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.”
Stephen Covey adds to this idea.
“It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover that it’s leaning against the wrong wall. If the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”
That is the danger of working my plan! I may succeed – but I only succeed in working the wrong plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
God does not promise to prosper and bless our plans.
God does promise to prosper and bless us when we join Him in His plans.
God is already at work. Let’s take the time to see where He is at work and join Him in that work. That is His plan. That is the plan that will prosper.