Everything Is Up To God
But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
How much is enough?
How much must I give to the poor?
How much must I forgive those who trespass against me?
If I am honest, these questions, or ones very much like them, trouble my thoughts daily. Whenever doubt creeps in, such questions are lurking in my mind. Whenever fear threatens to take over, such questions are lurking in my mind. Whenever fatigue whispers in my ear that I cannot go on, such questions are lurking in my mind.
How much is enough?
I have only to look at what is around me right in my own community to see that nothing is ever enough.
There are not enough places to shelter the poor, and the homeless.
There are not enough places to treat the sick in mind and spirit.
There are not enough jobs to ensure all are productively employed.
However much I give, more is needed.
However much society does, more is needed.
However much government decrees, more is needed.
How much is enough? More than I can give. More than I can do. The evidence of my own eyes tells me this daily.
If I cannot give enough—if I cannot do enough—what hope can I possibly have for anything?
What hope can I have that I will be successful in supporting myself with my writing?
What hope can I have that I will make meaningful contributions to society?
What hope can I have that I will make a difference in other people’s lives?
If I am honest, there are times when the answer “there is no hope” tickles the back of my brain. There are times when that answer whispers in my ear, slyly casting a spell of despair, seeking to convince me of my inevitable failure.
I do not think I am alone in this. I hear others talk about struggling with “imposter syndrome”—that nagging fear one will be branded a fraud and a failure—and realize that they are hearing this same whisper. They are being beset by the same slyly cast spell of despair. They are being convinced of inevitable failure.
We are not good enough. The proof of that is all around us. The proof of that is in the poor wandering homeless on our streets. The proof of that is in our youth struggling with their mental health, fighting to gain their footing in a chaotic and unstable world. The proof is in the reality that this is a chaotic and unstable world.
We are not good enough. We have never been good enough. We will never be good enough.
Even Jesus warned us of this, when He reminded His disciples that “The poor you will always have with you.”
We are not good enough. We have never been good enough. We will never be good enough.
What then, are we to do? Do we give up? Do we simply stop striving, simply stop doing? Do we listen to that whisper in the ear and succumb to that slyly cast spell of despair?
We can do that. We can give up
I can do that. I can give up. There have been more than a few days where I have wanted to give up, and a few days where I actually have given up.
But there is an alternative. Instead of giving up, I can do all that I can—and accept that the rest is up to God.
Why should I do all that I can? Why should I strive knowing that it’s not enough?
That is a question I ask myself more often than I want to admit.
Whenever I ask that question, there is another whisper that comes back with the answer.
That is what I am called to do. That is what we are all called to do.
That is what it means to love God with all my heart, and with all my soul and all my mind.
If I am to give to God all of me, I must do all that I can. I must do all the research that I can, write the best articles I can, help others as much as I can.
If I am to give to God all that I am, all that I see to do I must do.
Will my efforts yield the result I want? They may—or they may not.
Will my efforts gain the rewards I desire? They may—or they may not.
Will my efforts leave me in the place I want to be? They may—or they may not.
Whether they do or they do not, I am still called to do all that I see to do.
Whether I meet with success or whether I fail miserably, I am still called to do all that I see to do.
Regardless of what I do, or do not do, in every circumstance the outcome is up to God. He has already decided what will be. He has already decided what results I will get, and what results I will not get. He has already chosen where my path will be easy and where my path will be hard.
I must do all that I see to do, because that is what I am called to do. But when I have done all that I see to do, then I am done. All the rest will be done by God—or not.
When I have done all that I can, I am done. When I have given all that I can, I am done. All the rest is in God’s hands, and I must be content to leave it there.
That is very easy to say. It’s not at all easy to do.
I want to know that my effort will be rewarded with success. I want my writing to be successful. I want to be a force for good in society. I want to make a difference in the lives of others.
But how much success I get is up to God.
How much good I do is up to God.
How much difference I make is up to God.
All I can do is what I see to do. Everything else is up to God. I must be at peace with that for the simple reason there is no other alternative!
My prayer on every day is that I will do all that I see to do. My prayer on every day is that I will give every effort I can, and help others where and when I can. My prayer on every day is that, once I have done all that I see to do, I will be at peace knowing I am done, and knowing that the rest is up to God.
My prayer for you is that you also will do all that you see to do. My prayer for you is that you will strive to give every effort you can, helping others where and when you can. My prayer for you is that, once you have done all that you see to do, you can be at peace knowing you are done, and knowing that the rest is up to God.
How much is enough?
On every day I am called to give to God all of me. When I have given all that I am, that’s enough.
Great read once again, Peter. Linking as always!!!
Peter, do you see what a deep, caring, beautiful soul you are? I doubt that the majority of bureaucrats in DC are waking up each morning asking God how they might better serve. You do, and you try to give your all. I thank you, and I’m sure God appreciates your efforts as well!
But you are not required to feed and house the entire world. Even Jesus didn’t do that, and He had the power to do so. Many people believe that if you trust God, and walk continuously with God, He will put into your path what you should do. The souls you are to care about that day are the ones you meet. The subjects you should write about are the ones that grab your attention; the books you need to read are ones that show up and call to you; the injustices you see in the world that really bother you are the ones that you attack. But really, you don’t need to carry the entire world on your shoulders, Peter. Just walk with God, and let Him bring you to you the tasks He would like you to do. Trust Him. You are willingly in a partnership with God, and that’s all He asks of you. Trust that He will use you as He sees fit, because that is what you’ve volunteered for, right?
We usually can’t see all of God’s plan. There is no ‘time’ in the Eternity, so God’s ‘timetable’ is different from ours. Here’s an example. Remember when I asked you yesterday if Vice President Vance having Indian in-laws played any role in negotiations between Pakistan and India? Suppose that fact played a small role in building trust with Indian officials. That would mean that Vance’s in-laws moved to America, struggled, raised a daughter who ended up marrying Vance, who then became Vice President (and what are the odds of that!), and then helped to prevent a possible nuclear war. Millions of Indian lives may have been spared partly because two people moved to America decades ago. They would have never dreamed that that would be their contribution to the world, but God used them in His plan.
Meanwhile, how is God using YOU in His plan? You can’t see it or sense it, but He is, and if you are walking with Him, it is for the good. You can trust that. I have had the feeling for years that you are destined for something significant. It may not seem significant to you at the time, but it will change something for the better. It might be something you will write that is read by someone in a position of great power, or it might be a physical action you take, or someone to whom you give caring. But you have asked God to use you well, so you can trust that God WILL. Relax in that knowledge, Peter!
You are blessed and loved, always.