Is it Believing or Doing?

I have found that in life it is very easy to focus on what I need to be doing, should be doing, could be doing, or didn't do.  Religion (leaven of the Pharisees that Jesus talked about) gets us to focus on what we should be doing for God.  When the focus is on doing for God I have found that I quickly become like the elder brother in the story of the Prodigal.  Elder brothers are really focused on what they are doing, how good it is, comparing themselves to how others are doing, striving to perform better, pressured, and often stressed.  I know I have an Elder brother some where inside who believes it's all about performing, striving, earning, and anxiously trying to be something.  The elder brother is more of a mindset in my soul but I think you get what I mean.  Do you realize that the Elder brother was seeking to earn what he already had (the blessing of the Father) and his inheritance?  The Elder brother longed to have the Father say how proud He was of him but believed the only way that would ever happen is if he performed up to it.  Elder brothers get a lot done in the Body of Christ but often leave others around feeling condemned, judged, and simply not good enough.  Not exactly empowering.

Jesus main commandment was to believe in Him, abide in Him, and do intimate relationship with the Father through Him.  It seems at times there is a war between the believing and doing, rather than seeing that faith (belief) produces works.  The main root of this struggle is really do we save ourselves, or receive blessing from God through doing more for Him or is salvation really all God's initiation.  I believe until we get revelation our believing and doing will be at war within us.  It amazed me at one point this week when I didn't have the desire to do what I believe God was leading me to do, He reminded me that Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34). I believe Jesus resolved the war that often wages within us in Himself by fulfilling the Father's mission.  I once heard Michael Brodeur say, "God be's what He does and does what He be's."

If you are anything like me, you can get caught up in life being about completing your "to do" list.  If you are involved in a work to move forward in life there are things to do but believing and abiding in Jesus is what gives life.  When the doing comes out of our abiding then God guarantees there will be good fruit (John 15).  I believe those who are better at being in Jesus can criticize those who are "doers" as not truly having intimacy with God.  I believe Jesus being the exact representation of the Father held these two in a wonderful tension that manifested a new way of living.  Jesus was always fully present to the Father but maintained a schedule that would exhaust most of us.  I believe He was absolutely compelled by love.

In Him,
Bret