Joining God in His Work

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October 30, 2018

By Steve King

There is a perspective which will enable you to experience God’s rest in your heart, motivate you to make a positive difference in the world, and put the evils of our day in their proper context.

The viewpoint is embedded in a profound statement Jesus made about Himself. Join me in memorizing His eleven-word declaration: “My Father is working until now and I Myself am working” (John 5:17). Jesus made this astounding claim about Himself after He instantly healed a man, on a Sabbath day, who had been lame for 38 years (John 5:1-16).

Jesus’ claim that He and God the Father are always working provokes a question: what work are they doing? The answer unfolds in the storyline of the Bible: Creation (Genesis 1-2), Fall (Gen 3), Redemption (Gen 4 – Revelation 18) and Restoration (Rev 19-22). God created the world and sustains it. Then Satan and mankind fell into sin. God is working to redeem mankind and reclaim His kingdom. He is doing His redemptive and restorative work through Jesus Christ and His people.

This perspective can give you rest in your heart and peace of mind. God is always working, and He is inviting you to join Him in His work. Ironically, we can have rest while we work. Jesus says “Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30), and the author of Hebrews tell us, “Therefore, be diligent to enter that rest” (4:11).

This perspective, of daily joining God in His work, can motivate you to make a positive difference in the world. Your calling is sacred and given to you by God to meet human needs, fulfill you, and glorify God (Gen 1:26-28; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

This perspective can put the evils of our day in their proper context. The world is good and created by God yet, because of the fall, evil runs rampant. However, God is at work redeeming people through Christ and restoring His kingdom. One day He will fully restore His kingdom—evil will not win and our work in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor 15:58).

The One who is always working invites us to join Him in His work. Let’s be filled with the Holy Spirit and be disciples who love God and people above all else.