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"As we strive we do work for God. As we
rest we work with God."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 79.
Striving, when it comes to God's economy, is something that puts us exactly in the wrong place. I have found that when I strive with regards to who I am I set myself up for victim thinking. I believe that God wants an element of rest in our lives that striving just can't help but to destroy.
I've heard it said that God doesn't want to be our employer. He wants to be our Father. It isn't about the results of relationship that God is concerned with. It is about the relationship itself that is so concerning to our God. That's why I can make the statement I made earlier - "As we strive we do work FOR God. As we rest we work WITH God."
I can't tell you how many people in the ministry I have met that are working FOR God. They strive to make it so that their efforts are something that God would approve of. It is as though they are working to prove they are something that God has already done all He can do to provide for them. Sadly, that is exactly what we do so often. We treat this free gift of becoming a Child of God as though we have to do all we can to repay the giver of this gift.
What a sad waste of time all this striving is in the life of a victor. I believe that this is why most of us feel so victimized by the world and sometimes by God Himself. It feels like our efforts just aren't enough to please this God that is suppose to love us so.
Want to know the hard truth? Our efforts aren't enough. They never will be. Nothing can ever repay this God of Love. Our efforts will always fall short. It is when we strive to change this unchangeable fact that we quickly end up demoralized and in despair. That's where we live when we are trapped in victim thinking.
Look, I realize that we serve an all mighty King. From that standpoint we are nothing other than a hired hand. That's how most other religions treat participants. We are only as good as our last positive result. Unfortunately, we don't have the power on this side of heaven to be perfect. Our imperfections will make it so all the striving in the world will ultimately disappoint. String enough disappointments together and victim thinking can't help but be the result.
God is so much more than an unsatisfied employer. He wants relationship with us. He wants to be able to have us barge right into the Holy of Holy's, climb up and sit in the lap of the most powerful being in all existence. He wants us to be so loved that we will come to Him with all our stuff and let Him sort it all out in his own unique way and in His own sweet time.
That's why I believe the things we will do for God should never be tied to striving. Striving equates work. Work will always let us down when it comes to knowing who we are. God Himself made it that way when He cursed man with the fact that work will never be enough to prove who we are. Why do we keep fighting to change God's mind on this? He simply won't change.
Unless we believe what God says about us and approach Him from the vantage point of our efforts being useless to Him we will always be in that peace robbing place of striving. It is when we come to God knowing who we are that we can join God in what He is doing in peace filled ways that can only be described as rest.
Here's what the Bible says about the topic of rest.
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2 (NASB)
When it comes to striving and identity, the soul is the key. When the soul is put on notice by striving we will work ourselves to exhaustion to prove something that God has already stated is true. When we step into the fullness of the faith to believe God at His word our souls can rest in ways that make the power of God flow through them in world changing ways.
When we strive our souls take on the burdensome task of working for God. When we believe God for our identities we are able to task our soul at joining God in what He is doing. Working WITH God is so much more powerful and productive than working FOR God. Our souls feed on working WITH God and are exhausted at the prospect at working FOR Him.
Today you need to do a little word check when it comes to your work. Are you working FOR God or are you working WITH God. The difference will always boil down to the motivations for your work in the first place. If you are working to try and prove something - something to yourself, something to others and/or something to God - you are in a place of FOR. If your work is being done out of a passion and a calling and maybe even a desire, then you are in the place of WITH. FOR will burn you out. WITH will empower you. Choose to work WITH God and watch how your victor status comes alive today no matter what the results of your actions might look like.
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