Doing for God

Bedouin Goatherd at Wadi Kelt, Israel

Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;

your burnt offerings are continually before me.

I will not accept a bull from your house

or goats from your folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine,

the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the birds of the hills,

and all that moves in the field is mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you,

for the world and its fullness are mine.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats? -Psalm 50:8-13

If you were like me and grew up in a church ever since you were a kid, you’ve probably heard this phrase a million times: “We’re doing this to serve God.” It was drilled into me from a very young age. All service -- leading worship, cleaning the church, going on a missions trip, visiting nursing homes, singing in the choir, holding clothing drives and food drives, teaching Sunday School, babysitting the kids at cell group meetings, leading small groups in youth group, etc. was for God.

It struck me as I was reading this psalm this morning how ridiculous the notion is that I could do anything for God. Does God really need my help to do any of this? Do my sacrifices of time and talent benefit him in any way? Can I give anything to God that isn’t already his? Problem is, I grew up with this notion that I could benefit God, or at least his kingdom, by being self-sacrificial and volunteering my time and energy to doing good deeds.

This psalm, however, says that nothing we give or offer to God is needed, because everything is his to begin with, including our time and our talents. So what exactly are we doing when we “serve God”?

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and perform your vows to the Most High,

and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. -Psalm 50:14-15

The attitude of these following verses is one of thanksgiving and the posture is one of receiving, even while “doing for God.” What that means is, I do for God, because getting involved benefits me. I want to be a part of his work in the world, not because I can do great things for him, but because he will do great things in me while I’m involved.

A loose analogy would be something like the relationship of a master and his apprentice. The apprentice doesn’t work for the master primarily because the master needs help; rather, the apprentice helps so that he can learn the trade, thereby benefitting from working for him.

All service for God benefits me, not God. God can get his purposes accomplished perfectly without me. Yet, that fact doesn’t encourage me to slack off and do nothing, because doing for God benefits me. What kind of benefits? Experiencing his goodness in giving me his best, seeing more of his faithfulness in keeping his promises, feeling security and joy in doing the work I was made to do, and watching my life unfold more perfectly than I could ever have planned for myself.

Once in a while I wonder if my work is as beneficial to God’s kingdom as, say, the work of a missionary, or a social worker, or a Bible translator, or a pastor, or even a musician. But I am mistaken to even think in that way. Doing for God can’t be measured by how much or how little it affects his kingdom. It is measured by how closely I am walking in step with the Spirit, by my faithfulness to any task he gives me, and by the hope I have when I follow his leading.

In other words, there is no point in judging a Christian’s usefulness by what he does for God. In God’s sight, no one is useful. We are only responding to the gift of his invitation to join him in his work, and in the process, reap the benefits on our own heads. When we follow his leading, nothing is ever wasted.