John 6:28–29: “They
said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus
answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him
whom He has sent.’”
Observation: Jesus
had just miraculously fed well over 5,000 people on the Tiberias hillside with five
loaves and two fish. Then, withdrawing from the main crowd, He used the
metaphor of eating and drinking to drive home a central point about God’s
kingdom. This was like one of those teachable moments that every parent yearns
to be wise enough to notice and take advantage of. He pressed home the lesson
that began with the people’s asking, “What shall we do, so that we may work the
works of God?”
Application: Jesus is nowhere better than when He is in the
role of coach, as demonstrated here. Having seen Jesus
at the Great Tiberian Cookout, their hunger was to know how they might become
more effective.Their question does not seem to contain a dangerous
motivation for personal glory, but a growing awareness of the gap between Him
and them. It was dawning on them how great, how powerful, how able He is, and
how limited they are.
What a perfect posture for a disciple to assume! They had
left home and family to follow Jesus; why shouldn’t they desire to be more than
a spiritual groupie? So their question, as though from my own heart, is, “How
can I be most effective in advancing the kingdom?”
His answer to me is simplicity itself. First, He notices
that I ask about “works,” but His answer describes the one central “work” to
which I am called. He moves my sight away from works and toward belief. Repeatedly
He says that the work of God is for me to believe in
Him. That’s all. He is the bread of l
striving. Simply accept that He is the Son of God, and enter into His life. That
is the work of God.
Prayer: Father,
thank You for this fresh reminder of the simplicity of life when You are at its
core. I make things so complicated, but You are teaching me that more gets done
when I rest in You, that awesome works are done when I am still enough to hear
Your voice. I don’t need to be so quick to pick up a hammer or turn on my work
computer; rather, I need to be hungry to believe in You and the purpose for
which You came to earth.
Your post addresses a issue that I frequently struggle with. Your application helps me keep things in perspective. Thank you for writing the post.
http://www.project-transform.com/
Thanks for your note, Hugh. I have a feeling that the Father smiles broadly any time any of His children are seeking to be most effective for Him, don’t you?
Dave