WORKING WITH GOD OR WORKING FOR GOD? Sylvester Onyemalechi

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1 WORKING WITH GOD OR WORKING FOR GOD? Sylvester Onyemalechi Many Christian workers and ministers work for God and assume that all they are doing is approved by God. Many do not know that they can work FOR God and not WITH God. Working WITH God is all about walking with and working for God in accordance with His revealed WILL. We are called to do His will and not our will in this life. The Lord Jesus Christ in teaching on how to pray, revealed that when we pray, we should pray for God s will to be done. That means that we should ask for God s will and not just our will and desires to be done. And John the Apostle taught that when we pray according to His will, that God hears us, and as a result we will have what we ask of our heavenly Father. Matt 6:10 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 1 John 5: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him. Every service must be approved by God. If it is not approved, then it is not acceptable. The scripture teaches that there is the permissive or acceptable will of God and there is the perfect will of God. You can do something that is not sinful in the sight of God, and yet not be the perfect will of God for that particular moment, event, or time. Rom 12:2 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Your service may be holy and not sinful, yet, it is not God s will for that time, place and event. There are many things we do for God that can be classified as: Showmanship (display of talent and skill, which is usually born out of selfish reasons and pride), Competition, Desire for attention, Financial and material gain (ministering to someone with the primary motive of getting money or material reward), Doing something because every other person, church, group is doing it. If God has not inspired or commanded it for you, your group, department or church, He will not back

2 it, and therefore, will end in failure though where you copied from are succeeding with the idea. So, in working for God, you must be in constant communion with God. You must be walking close to the Lord with sensitivity to the instructions and leading of the Holy Spirit. When we are led by the Holy Spirit in our walk and service to the Almighty God, we experience God s backing and success. It is important we bear in mind always that God only gives total support to what came from Him. It is therefore, your duty and mine to ascertain if our idea and service is inspired by the Holy Spirit or self, or spirit of competition, or desire for attention and praise of men, or financial or material gain. Let your service be inspired by the Holy Spirit and the glory of God. Working for God and living a sinful life is hypocrisy. You can t be promoting a king and his kingdom and at the same time your life represents another king and kingdom. If you belong to Christ, then live for Him in holiness which you already possess the ability to do so through new birth. It is this that Jesus addressed when he declared that not all who call Him Lord will enter His kingdom, because they are workers of iniquity. Matt 7: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' To be living in sin and serving in the house of God is working for God and not with God. Work to be accepted Working for God demands that you render your service in such a way that it will be acceptable for not all service or gifts are acceptable to God. Jer 48:10 10 "A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord's work! It is strange that a man will work for God and at the end of the day, he will get a curse and not a blessing. This shows us that God expects things to be done properly with a willing and zealous heart. He expects you and me to put in our best in working for Him. To be lax is not to be careful enough; not strict enough. To do the work of God with lax is to do it without care and great zeal. It is to render service as if you are being forced no commitment, zeal, not putting in your best and not caring if it turns out perfectly well.

3 The Apostle Paul teaches that we Study and be eager and do our utmost to present ourselves to God approved workmen. God is expecting the best service that we can render to Him, so we must work hard at improving ourselves to be acceptable. 2 Tim 2: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. AMP Serve in such a way that God will be pleased. Please God and not men. Do not do eye service. Do not do showmanship. Just be a holy instrument (vessel) in the hands of God. 1 Thess 2:4 4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. Serve in such a way as to be accepted. Rom 12:1 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. 1 Peter 2:5 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Lev 22:21 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. Prov 21:3 3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 Jer 6: What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me." 21 Therefore this is what the Lord says: "I will put obstacles before this people. Fathers and sons alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish." Your willingness to give your time, talent, skill and training to the service of the living God makes you to be accepted. Willingly and energetically serve God and you will be accepted and rewarded by God. 2 Cor 8:12 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. HOW TO WORK WITH GOD 1. Determine to live for God s glory and not yours or another s. 1 Cor 10:31 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. In all that you do, even in eating or drinking do all to the glory of God. Let your words and manner of speech be to God s glory. Dress and package yourself to God s glory. Go where God will be glorified only. Do only that which will glorify God. In your relationships including your marriage relationship, seek God s glory. Develop and nurse desires that glorify God only. Associate with people that seek God s glory and make sure all you do together is such that will honour and glorify God. You must keep away from all that the word of God condemns as sin and evil. Do only that which God approves and keep away from that which he hates. Implement only ideas that are God-breathed (inspired). Render service in such a way that God will approve it and reward you. If you have the same life and spirit with God, definitely you will love what God loves and hate what He hates. 2. Submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit who knows the mind and plan of God for your life and the universe and was sent into the world for the purpose of leading God s people. Rom 8:14 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in the way of God that your life may be well lived and bring God pleasure and glory. He knows what God wants. He knows the Father s will and plan and He has been sent to guide us in the will and plan of God for our lives. Note that only those who are led by the Spirit are true sons of God. The Holy Spirit cannot lead you to resent, hate, steal, cheat,

5 fornicate, lust, commit adultery, lie or beat up your wife. He will never lead you to do evil. He will only lead you in the path of righteousness. Surrender to the Holy Spirit and you will live for God s glory. Having understood who you are and whose you are, it is essential that you surrender your life to Jesus Christ and stop living for yourself, friends and family, and start living for God who created and saved you. Rom 12:1 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Do not lead God. Let God lead you in all things, even in your service to God. Do not only work for God, work with God. Keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Do not work ahead of God, work with Him. Do only what He inspires. Let God lead you. Be the follower and not the leader. Remember, He only blesses and backs what He has commanded. Submit to the Holy Spirit. Surrender to Jesus Christ and let Him have His way always. Let Him be Lord indeed. 3. Seek God s will and do it with joy. Eph 5: Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. God is our maker and owner of the life we live and call our own. He is the owner of the Church. He is the owner of the work that we are doing. It is therefore, very important that we allow the owner of the work to direct how the work should be done. Ours is to find out what He wants and when and how He wants it done, and then comply. Rev 4:11 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Always remember you were created for God s pleasure for the glory and honour of God. Do not live your life as if you are your own creator and owner. The purpose of God for creating man as revealed in the above passage is for God s pleasure and not another. It is therefore very important that we all examine our lives to see if we are truly fulfilling the purpose for creation.

6 If we are not, we need to make amends before it becomes too late and we close our eyes in death, only to wake up and face judgement. Do not only work for God, work with Him as He leads you for His glory. You will be greatly rewarded.