12.19.14
John 6.27-28-29 27 Do
not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set
his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of
God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him
whom he has sent.” – Jesus and the crowd (ESV)
In a very interesting dialogue found in John 6, Jesus
explains what it is we humans are supposed to do. We seem to have this undying
need to contribute (in almost everything we do). It’s no wonder, when Jesus
told the people that day not to work for food that perishes but for the food
that endures to eternal life that they could only get from Him, that they
responded: Well then, tell us – what must
we do to be doing the works of God!?
And Jesus answered: Believe in [Me] whom [God] has sent.
If you want to know the true definition of work then read
and re-read the above; it is work to believe in Jesus Whom God has sent.
The difficulty of belief is that it is so counter to
everything we know (and believe to be) as humans. When we’re unemployed and
keep running into the walls of rejection at every turn, it’s hard to believe
that God has promised to provide. If we are sick with some illness and it goes
from bad to worse, it’s hard to believe that it’s going to get better and “by
His stripes we are healed.” When we fall richly in love only to end poorly in
divorce – when we start something new, believing God has made it so, only to find
difficulty and defeat at every turn, it’s hard to believe that we’ve done the
right thing. Belief without work...is dead.
That’s why it is work. It’s hard, and trying, and exhausting
– and we have to work at it!
A friend of mine says we must allow God to expand our
mind and our understanding. He says that
process is often painful because everything around us screams we’re doing
the wrong thing, the impossible, or the unthinkable. This isn’t name it and
claim it – it’s learning to believe God and not to work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.
Today, I am willing to believe. It’s looking different
than I thought, but I am willing to believe. And I’m not willing to believe for
just fish and bread (see John 6) but for the food that endures to eternal life
which Jesus has promised to give me. I’m willing to stare down my unbelief and
put all of my ‘belief eggs’ in God’s
basket.
Father in Heaven, my work today is not for a paycheck,
but for food that endures to eternal life. Help me in my belief – make it
strong and change my heart and my thinking that I may truly, eternally believe
You. Amen.
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