Intertwined Responsibilities – EGP Blog post from August 5, 2018

People often confuse where God’s responsibilities end and ours begin. Perhaps that’s because those two concepts are more intertwined than we realize. Some people believe that Christ did all the work for everything at the cross and we just need to believe Him enough and obey some list enough for everything to be ours right now. Then Satan is right there to heap guilt on us for not doing something that God hasn’t even called us to do or for not having what God hasn’t explicitly given to us.

The Bible doesn’t provide some sort of perfect formula to follow, but it does point to a wonderfully complex and loving Father. In fact, there are times when the Bible may even seem contradictory, but it’s because He calls each of His people to different lives and ministries. Rather than sort it out in our minds, He wants us each to “walk in the Spirit”, meaning we must constantly follow the leading of God’s voice as He works within us individually. Operating in His will for you frees you from any guilt or shame from not doing what you (or others) think you should do.

It’s not about checking off our Bible reading for the day, it’s about getting to know God better by meditating on His Word. It’s not about spending hours in our prayer closet, it’s about truly connecting with Him on a deep and personal level. It’s not about figuring out God’s will for our lives, it’s about being faithful with His guidance in all of the small moments too. It’s not about memorizing a moral code or task list, it’s about being changed from the inside to look and act more like God.