I can do NOTHING for God…not really.

I have had an odd blogging week. I have been mentally obsessed with a particular current event and spent a lot of time writing a post Thursday night but on Friday I woke up believing I wasn’t supposed to post it this week. Something isn’t feeling right. Perhaps it’s not ready. Perhaps I am afraid. Perhaps it was just for me (not everything is for the world to know). You may or may not ever see what I have been thinking about and working on all week. Very strange.

On the way home Friday afternoon I was listening to Francis Chan (no surprise to my blog subscribers) when he started to tell an illustration. He said to his audience, What if I asked you to come over and wash our two cars? You would probably do it because I am the pastor. It’s not fun to wash cars but you would serve me out of duty.

Francis continued.

But what if I asked you to come over and wash our two cars for $1,000? You would get to my house very quickly and wash cars with great joy.

I thought I knew where Francis was going.

I thought he was going to point out that I am more apt to serve God when I am getting something in return (which would have made me sad because that has been true).

But Francis surprised me.

If you were washing our cars for $1,000, he continued, I would be the giver. You would not be giving me anything in comparison with the reward you were going to receive.

I let out an audible groan.

I have been so proud of my hard work for God so many, many times. Because I love Him I want to serve Him. At times I believe I have given Him my dead-level best!

But compared to the eternal glory God is going to give me I do NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING in comparison.

This illustration is told in context of James 1.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Greetings means joy in the Greek. The twelve tribes of Israel had just been scattered with nothing more than the clothes on their back.

Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds…

There is that joy word again.

…for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (1:2-4)

Whatever suffering we are enduring in this speck-of-dust-sized life (compared to eternity) is NOTHING in comparison to what God gives us in return. He hasn’t asked much from us at all…NOTHING really.

And speaking of NOTHING , please consider watching this link from 16:25-20:00 to watch a video showing the vastness of our universe and the nothingness of our earth. This clip will illustrate the mind-boggling realities of what God has done.

Essentially, God picked up a speck of dust (earth) and said to the people inhabiting the speck,

• I love you.
• I will die for you so I can have a relationship with you.
• I will put my Spirit in you.
• Then I am going to defeat Satan and His demons with what I do through you and all who trust me.
• Even my own angels are going to be in awe.

So this is what I share with you today as I trust God that this is what I was supposed to post.

• We inhabit a speck of dust.
• We can do NOTHING for Him, really.
• But we are treasured.

P.S. – For those that follow my blog weekly, you know I lost my 13.5 year old chihuahua to heart disease a little while ago. Yes, another little dog has been adopted into our family. Meet Griffin.

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