What Can You Do For Me Today, God?

What Can You Do For Me Today, God?

Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell him about human nature. –John 2:23-25

A friend of mine has a wealthy uncle who never married and has no children. She takes care of him, includes him in family events, and helps him with his needs. I know she does it out of love for him, but I wonder if he is as confident of her motives. Surely he can’t help but wonder if she would care for him as attentively if there were nothing for her in his will. It would be only natural, because we know about human nature, don’t we? We know our human nature expects something in return for what we give.

Jesus understood human nature too. From the beginning of his ministry he recognized that while many people were willing to believe he was the Messiah, their willingness to believe had more to do with what he could do for them than what he wanted to do in them. After Jesus fed the five thousand, huge numbers of people began to follow him, proclaiming him as Messiah. Jesus bluntly told them, “The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign. But you shouldn’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you” (John 6:26-27).

Jesus was looking for genuine conversion and not just enthusiasm for the spectacular. Genuine faith is not defined by enthusiastic outbursts, intellectual assent, or even religious-sounding rhetoric, but by wholehearted commitment. It is a response of the mind, heart, and will to the character and nature of Jesus, apart from his miracle-working power. Genuine faith says, “I don’t just want what you’ve got, I want you! I don’t need a miracle; I have Jesus!”

We might be able to fool others and even ourselves, but we can’t fool God. He sees our hearts in reality. When he looks at your heart, does he see the heart of a consumer, not wanting him, just wanting what he’s got? Or does he see a heart abandoned to loving him, a heart surrendered to his purpose?

Heart Seer, you know I’m often more interested in what you have to offer me than offering myself to you. Thank you for giving me a new nature that overcomes my human nature so I can love you wholeheartedly.

DIGGING DEEPER