To please God … to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness … to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is. —C. S. Lewis
It’s one thing to realize your primary purpose is to be God’s kid. It’s another thing to believe that being God’s kid is enough to please Him. Surely there must be something more—something else required of you in order to make Him glad He let you live?
Travel with me to Luke 3. I want to show you the very first words spoken over Jesus as an adult. Jesus was down with the others, getting baptized by John the Baptist:
And as [Jesus] was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22, emphasis mine)
We are witnessing Jesus’ primary human calling, which is the same as ours—to be a child of God.
But what about the second half of God’s statement? Correct me if I’m wrong, but Jesus hasn’t done anything yet. He hasn’t healed anyone, gone head-to-head with any Pharisees, taught a single sermon, or performed a miracle.
Still, God says, “Hey, you’re My boy, I love you, and you please Me.”
You know what? He says the same thing to us. If all we ever do in this life is exercise our primary calling—that of being His child—we have fulfilled our primary purpose. God is pleased with us; God is pleased with you.
Isn’t that beautiful? That’s called grace, my friends.
Yet most believers long to be used by God. This longing is expressed in the question, “God, what do You want me to do?”
This question leads us to our secondary purpose. As children of God, we are called to be His instruments. When I think of instruments, I think of musical instruments. So here’s the problem: Instruments cannot play themselves. They need a master.
Our secondary calling is to be an instrument in the hands of the Master.
Loving Father, Your grace overwhelms me. Amen.