What's God doing?

Do you feel insignificant as far as God’s purposes for this world go? Do you wish to be used mightily for the kingdom of heaven? Do you get frustrated over the lack of discernable fruit being borne for all your prayers and efforts?

Two nights ago our Pastor asked the question “What’s God doing in your life?” during a church service, encouraging the congregation to share ways that God was working in their lives or the lives of others that they know. I must say, most of the time I find it hard to think of anything very significant that’s happened in my week, let alone think fast enough on my feet to be able to articulate it in verbal words as some folk can. Yet I do believe that God is indeed working in my life.  I hope and pray that God’s love is displayed to others through my witness. He knows and to Him be all the glory.

That same night our congregation had communion and I sat in my seat, holding a small piece of bread between my fingers. This piece of bread was the result of a long chain of production, from the agricultural workers who tilled a piece of land and planted the grain, to those who harvested it, transported it, transformed it into bread, marketed it, purchased it and cut it into pieces and served it. Many other ancillary people assisted the process by designing equipment to help with production, building roads and vehicles for transportation, making wrappers, washing the dishes it was served on, etc. etc.

And what was my process, my production, which caused me to be sitting in church, taking communion?  My presence, too, was the result of a chain of ministry by many people who impacted my life for God. My parents took my to church as a child and they and others laid the foundation of my faith. In my teenage years I went right away from God, though here and there someone planted a seed. In my early twenties, already married, I began attending a Pentecostal church, committed my life to Christ and was baptised. It was through a friend at the time that I learned the difference between a head knowledge of the gospel and a deeply personal relationship with Jesus. Many others in the years since have continued to impact me and strengthen my faith and no doubt throughout my entire life there have been people praying for me. 

So it is with all of us. God alone knows the whole story. When we commit ourselves each day to His purposes, He will use us. We may have the wonderful opportunity to lead someone to commitment of their lives to Christ. If not, we are still part of the process. We can pray for others, with or without them knowing it, from the friend who pours her heart out over the phone to the unknown stranger in the car in front stopped at a red light. I pray for others over the internet, and often pray that God will bring Christians into that person's daily life, at the same time realising that I am a Christian person who is in the daily life of many others that I interact with in reality every day. We can talk about Jesus to others. We try to model Christ’s love and right way of living, though we fall far short. We can demonstrate Christ’s love in many practical ways.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”(1 Peter 3:15). By both our words and our attitudes towards others, we can help those who are spiritually seeking. Christ in us needs no hard-sell. He is so compelling that He draws the spiritually dry and thirsty to Himself. We are just the poor earthenware vessels that hold His glory.

“What’s God doing?” In my life this week, He brought two unexpected encounters at work in two days. The first was a lady whom I have been praying for, who is experiencing considerable personal conflict. We met unexpectedly and spent time together and she shared that the situation is improving significantly. Praise God. The second encounter was with a Christian tradesman friend, whom I had not seen for several years, who “happened” to be working at a client’s home. Because we “happened” to be working there at the same time together, I was able to share with him a need of a third person whom he will be able to help. Praise God for the circumstances He provides for His own purposes.

God may use just one person to bring the unsaved to Himself, or He may use many. He is expert at networking. As He says in His word (1 Corinthians 3:5-9) :

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

To God be the glory.