March 24, 2023: What Can I Do? Believe!

"Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (John 6:28–29, ESV)

So much of how Christians relate to God is through doing. We are, by a religious nature, works-oriented. We seem to be constantly looking for something else to do for God. We think that by our doing, we will win the favor of God or move the hand of God on our behalf. What can I do to make Him proud of me? What can I do to get Him to respond to me? What can I do that would please Him? 

Jesus answers our question of 'What must I do?' with a straightforward answer: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Our work is to believe in Jesus! What can I do to make Him proud of me? Believe! What can I do to get Him to respond to me? Believe! What can I do that would please Him today? Believe!

The writer of Hebrews also makes the answer clear: "...without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, ESV) Those in Hebrews 11 are people who did things for God. But the big things they did for God were done through faith. Yes, they did work, but the greater work was to believe!