Since the start of my last holidays, I have been earnestly seeking God’s powerful presence and glory. At the same time, one of my strongest desires throughout this year has been to become God’s co-worker. I feel that God truly values and attaches significance to my thoughts and actions, even to the point where God’s plan doesn’t progress without me. These two notions may sound contradictory, but they actually work in perfect harmony and both are necessary when doing God’s work.
God calls us to be His children and co-workers. We are to have a real, personal fellowship with Him. This means that God respects our truest thoughts and willful decisions and actions. God does not treat as like an AI robot. Of course, this does not mean that God’s sovereign decree will not be accomplished without us. God will certainly accomplish His ultimate Will by His great wisdom and power that is beyond human understanding.
Whilst God respects our thoughts and actions, we must at the same time rely on God to work in our lives. How much God can work in our lives depends on each person’s faith. Some may think of a distant god, who gives a holy book to abide by and interferes sometimes in dire circumstances. Others may even want a god who controls us like a robot.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays and pleads to God to take away the thorn in his flesh. But God’s response to his prayer was: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Some interpret Paul’s weakness as a physical disease and apply this message to say that God can work even through our weaknesses. This is obviously true and consistent with the teachings of the whole Bible. However, if we are to interpret this message in its context, we can see from the previous chapter (2 Cor 11) that Paul was referring to the various hardships he faced during his missionary journeys (2 Cor 11:23-30, 12:10). Paul was asking God to remove those who afflicted him during his ministry (‘messenger of Satan’), but God’s response was that if Paul wanted to avoid these hardships, God cannot work through him. After this experience, Paul learned to delight in the hardships and persecutions that inevitably came with bearing witness to the gospel. And God was able to work powerfully through Paul’s ministry.
You can think of a hound which chases and barks fearlessly at a larger, more vicious bear, knowing that his owner is behind him with a hunting gun. Similarly, when we face our weaknesses and fearful situations, we need to have faith that the Holy Spirit is with us and will work powerfully through us. Paul’s attitude during his time in Corinth is a prime example of this.
“I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (2 Cor 2:3-4)
The Holy Spirit’s power was working in Paul’s life, when he was facing his weaknesses and fearful situations to the point of much trembling. My desire is for such fellowship with the Holy Spirit, similar to how David used to fight with bears before his momentous battle against Goliath.
