Pastor Ed’s Blog

Work WITH God, Not FOR Him

I often point out that it’s a lot easier to get in on what God’s doing than it is to get God to bless what I’m doing. God’s funny that way: He prefers to bless what He’s doing.

I used to spend a lot of energy trying to convince God that my plans, efforts, programs and strategies were worthy of His blessing. Surely, God was sitting up in heaven just waiting for resourceful people like myself to come up with clever plans and ideas for advancing the kingdom. After all, I was doing it for Him.

But for some unknown, and totally baffling, reason, God’s blessing was conspicuously missing on many of my ideas…some of which were sure-fire winners. No brainers! Here I was, working for God, and He wasn’t even helping. If it wasn’t for my stubborn persistance and hard work, nothing would have gotten done for God.

Somewhere between sheer physical exhaustion and a total nervous breakdown, it dawned on me that God is always working in the earth to accomplish His purposes. And God always blesses what HE is doing. If I found out what God was doing, and got in on what He was doing, I’d get in on the blessing of God. That simple revelation radically changed my approach to doing ministry!

Don’t get me wrong, I still work pretty hard. Ministry is not easy work. But it’s a lot easier to work WITH God, than it is to work FOR God…something to do with this thing called grace. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, it says, “And working together WITH Him, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (NASB).

Of course, Jesus understood long ago that the secret of effective ministry was getting in on what His Father was doing. “My father is always at his work to this very day,” said Jesus, “and I too am working.” Jesus always worked WITH His Father, not FOR Him.

Jesus contined on, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:16, 19).

Maybe that is why Jesus never seemed flustered, flurried, hurried or worried. Working with His Father, He lived in the grace and blessing of His Father.

God doesn’t need people who work for Him; He wants people who share His heart, follow His vision and, in humble dependence, work together with Him.