For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13

Has God ever dropped a truth bomb on you?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you’re reading along in a Bible study or following along with a sermon, in agreement with the message but in a passive sort of way, and then BOOM! the author wrote something or the pastor says something and it’s like God Himself has pointed out a phrase or twisted your ear to listen better?

Phew, if you haven’t, I pray you experience one of those moments soon and I pray that they multiply as you draw closer to God.

As for me, I had one last week that absolutely shook the foundation of my life. Broke me to be honest. Had me completely disoriented for a bit.

I was tracking along in the Bible study, “Experiencing God” by Dr. Blackaby (an older study, but new to me and oh so good already!) when God dropped this truth on me:

Andrea, you don’t work for me; I work through you.

Not audible, but crystal clear, completely dismantling my understanding of my relationship with God.

You see, I’m a worker by nature, a doer some would say. I have a tendency to be performance-based, an innate desire to be useful.

I’ve shared before that in August of 2022, I left the career path I was on to pursue God’s plan for my life, and in that truth-bomb-moment with God, I realized that I’d really just traded a professional boss for a spiritual boss. I’d propped my ladder against a sturdier wall for sure, but I was still thinking about life in terms of rungs to climb and a boss to please.

Oh sweet friend, I was holding onto an inaccurate view of Who God is and of who I am to Him.

I realize now that many of the disappointments and discouragement that I have experienced in this writing ministry and other ministries have come from the fact that I was trying to do something for God instead of allowing God to work through me. Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion time and again that I am not good, smart, able, talented, whatever-enough to be useful to God, and I see now it was my perspective that delayed not only God’s work through me, but my overall walk with God as well.

We call God, Master and rightly so, for He is Creator and Sovereign Lord of all, but He is not like an earthly master we can imagine, any earthly boss we may have had. God does not set a ladder of ministry or good works before us and say, “Climb”. He does not point us toward a field and say, “Plant” or “Water” or “Gather”.

In fact, God tells us that:

• He is the One who is working (John 5:17; Romans 8:28).
• We can do nothing without Him (John 15:5).
• He works in us (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 13:21).

It’s difficult for this willful, performance-based gal to wrap her head around the fact that God does all the work, that there is no ladder to climb, that my only responsibility in our relationship is this:

Remain in Christ (John 15:5).

Dear heart, it’s a difficult truth for me to walk in, but even so what a relief that truth is!

He is the vine and we are branches. We need do nothing more than remain on the vine. He’ll grow us up and He’ll bear fruit through our attachment to Him.

No straining. No striving. Simply abiding.

No need to count rungs on a ladder to judge success. Success is found simply in clinging to the Savior day in and day out, through rain and through drought.

We don’t work for God; He works through us.

Truly beloved, God is good. All. The. Time.

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