I recently listened to a Q&A by Mark Driscoll, RC Sproul, Matt Chandler and Tullian Tchividjian on many different topics, but one of the things that stood out most to me was the concept of our works and the reward that we receive from them. In Ephesians, there is a very popular passage found in chapter 2 verses 8-10 that says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Many times I get so caught up in the thought of what I am "doing" for God that I lose complete sight of who He is and what he has done for me through his son Jesus. Mark Driscoll gave a very tangible imagery of this concept in a story from his childhood that I can relate to as I had a very similar childhood.
Growing up I wanted to be just like my dad. He was in the construction industry, and actually still is today. I would always ask to go to work with him and eventually I got my own tool belt and hammer. He was kind enough to take me to a jobsite once in a while where I would pound nails, stack boards and clean up (or make more of a mess depending on who you were talking to). I thought that I was being a massive contribution to what he was doing, but I now realize that he did just fine without me on the job. He didn't NEED ME to get his work done and he actually could have completed his work a lot faster if I wasn't there. But it was a real gift to go to work with my dad, to see and take part in what he did and most importantly, it was a real gift to spend time with him.
I realize now that works and the rewards they produce are nothing more than my heavenely Father loving me and wanting me to go to work with him. It is less about my work and the rewards I will get from it and it is more about just getting to know my Father. God has saved me to work, not by works. It is a pleasure to go to work with my Father. He doesn't need me, but I truly treasure going to work with him to see and even take part in what he is doing and most importantly, I treasure getting time with him.
- NJ
