But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 NLT
For years I confused God’s power with my own. I realise that sounds arrogant or stupid or both! Yet, out of obedience I set about doing what I determined were the things that might please God. It was a struggle; I often felt I’d failed God and my good intention. A good heart goes a long way in serving him, but it can also obstruct the work of God from taking place.
Whatever we set our hand to do can reflect and reveal God’s reality, at least for those with eyes to see. Living is mission, for what purpose is there in any activity if not to worship and serve God? I love the story of Mary and Martha. There are numerous ways it challenges me. One is that these two women reflect two distinct aspects of my character. The one that wants to sit and gaze into the face of Jesus in continuous contemplation – that objects to the daily round of tasks that life demands. Here I see how I am invited to contemplate God in every task. There is no deeper encounter with God through stopping and gazing than there is through working and gazing. God is all and in all.
This insight has encouraged me to look to and for God in each moment of my day. It challenges ‘attitude slippage’, when I experience feelings of resentment or self-pity at the burdens I carry. I quickly recall that I am to look to Christ and discover that God is always present. As we discover Christ in every eventuality, this reveals the reality of our faith profession. It’s not a prescribed belief, but a living and transformative faith, practical as well as theoretical. Our lives become the visual aid that reveals the reality and the immediate presence of God in this world; this is the heart of mission.
QUESTION
What moan and groans do you have about your lot in life?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, be present in each moment of this and every day, and may your presence attract others to saving faith in you.
Photo – Church of All Nations, Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem
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