This is Part 2 of Lessons from Bob and Larry

A funny thing happens when some people become Christians. We get all “on fire for God” and begin dreaming up all these great things we want to do for Him and His Kingdom. After all, the world is lost and He commands us to go reach them, right? That means we’re to go out and do something and do it NOW. For some that means door-to-door preaching, teaching, bake-sales, volunteering, missions-work, and on and on.

In church, we’re often taught about spiritual gifts and how we are to find the ones that God has given us, and then go out and use them to the best of our ability; we are to get out there and “do something!” For Phil Vischer (see Part 1), that meant making funny animated videos with Bible lessons using talking vegetables. (I’ve always imagined God pointing out a couple of the episodes to some of His children up there and seeing what they thought of them, you know, like asking David his opinion of “Dave and Giant Pickle!).

For myself, that “doing something” meant writing some Bible software and then later Christian-oriented book after book. I suppose it’s a natural response (especially as Americans!) to want to “do something — anything!” for God and find your divine purpose in it. And if those things line up with your personal skills or even dreams, then it’s all that much better, right?

Wrong. Or at least not necessarily fully “right” — particularly in His eyes and His plans for us.

When we become born-again and set out to start walking with God — really, truly walking with God — a curious thing happens which many of us either miss or we’re forced to learn the hard way later on. And that truth is that God is far, FAR more concerned with who we’re becoming rather than what we’re doing for Him. (Read that again!).

You see, God — in His infinite wisdom and innate understanding of us and our inborn pride, arrogance, and even our lofty dreams (or are they really idols?) — He’s willing to put us through just about anything to help us to become the people He intends for us to be. Anything. And very often, the more dramatic (or harrowing), the better. Sadly, that’s often how we have to really learn those lessons for ourselves: by touching that hot stove that our mother repeatedly warned us not to. We don’t really “get it” until we feel that pain and experience it firsthand for ourselves.

In His infinitely love and wisdom, God’s priority for us as His adopted sons and daughters is to remake us in His image, to refine us, to cut out the sin, pride, and selfish/self-centered elements of our character and our flesh/sin-nature. Unfortunately, those usually aren’t our priorities — which is where disappointments, discouragements, and even suffering enters into the picture. We’re often too busy “doing something” to consider what He really wants with us.

The deepest, hardest lessons can only really be learned through deep hardships.

Now, don’t get me wrong about the “doing something” aspect of our walk with Him. Jesus Himself told us to “occupy until He returns” (i.e. don’t just sit around waiting for Him to return). God knows and even cares about our dreams — but NOT at the expense of His relationship with us or our relationships with others. There’s a point in which dreams become idols, and He knows that point in each of us far better than we ourselves do.

Though I’ve written this before (several times in fact!), God is far more concerned with our obedience rather the results of our efforts for Him. And that’s not merely for the sake of mere obedience as much as the refinement of ourselves and our will. Though He told us to spread the Gospel to all the world, He doesn’t really “need” us to do that (He can use a Divine Billboard, right?). But He indeed wants us to participate in His plan to redeem the world and bring others into the Kingdom — and shaping, refining, and remaking us in the process. However, in the process of our sanctification, He desires obedience more than results, or more Biblically, He desires obedience rather than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

For us humans, we’re much more concerned with the destination rather than the journey — but not so with God. He has a knack for doing things the odd way to us anyway, right? Just open the Bible and pick a story, like Moses and his staff, Gideon and his lamps, David and his slingshot, Jonah and the fish (not a whale!), and of course, the multitude of animal sacrifices which culminated in His Son on a cross to redeem us. The incalculable amount of pain, anguish, and suffering that Christ endured just to redeem us!

In our lives, we’re much more concerned with what we’re “doing” and how we’re going to solve a problem or get through a tough spot to get back on Easy Street — but not Him. He’s much more focused on what we’re “being” and “becoming” rather than where we’re “going”. Since the destination is certain after we’re saved — Heaven with Him — that matter has already been settled; now it’s just a matter of getting there in the way He wants us to go.

God is far more concerned with our thoughts, prayers, attitudes, hearts, and our obedience rather than our comforts and accomplishments. Most of us just want to get on with life and get to the good parts, but not Him. He wants US to become the good parts and be the salt and light in this world. He’s content to let us suffer in the stew and marinade in the mess because He knows that that’s the only way to teach us the lessons He wants us to learn.

Perhaps it’s time for less “doing” on our part and more “being”…