It occurred to me recently that a proactive person without God will probably accomplish more in life than a passive person with God. It may be uncomfortable reading, but it’s undeniable that there are myriads of non-Christians achieving exceptional feats while many Christians aren’t. I believe that God gave human beings an immense capacity to accomplish much in His world by creating us in His image and likeness. That simple act gave us inherent excellence – a derivative from God’s nature. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise when human beings accomplish incredible feats because of who our Creator is. Sadly, our accomplishments often lure us into believing we can reach our apex without God. History has shown us that such an aspiration is folly. Nevertheless, a few role models have demonstrated that what we can achieve in partnership with God will always exceed what we can attain on our own.

All creation belongs to God [Deuteronomy 10:14]. He could do without us if He chose [Psalm 50:12]. Yet, amazingly, as far as the affairs of this world are concerned, God has delegated a measure of authority to us [Genesis 1:26:28, Psalm 115:16]. As many sages have pointed out, God gives each of us the dignity of causation; we can make things happen. But, time and again, we’re called to prioritise God’s will over our desires whenever there’s a conflict because He knows best. Surrendering to God allows His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to become the primary influence behind the things we make happen. A partnership is established when we submit to Him. We remain the public face of the alliance, but with the support of that invisible agency, superior to us in every way. He’s the one who enables us to accomplish feats we wouldn’t ordinarily be capable of attaining. Little David on his own wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on Goliath, but Goliath was no match for a David backed by God.

This post is my 200th consecutive weekly blog. I never imagined reaching that milestone when I published my first blog in July 2018. Yet, since that first post, God has faithfully given me the grace and the material to publish a blog each week, and sometimes, twice a week. I probably had enough material for three months when I started. However, I was reticent to publish my insights into the Christian walk. I had no religious training or ministry experience, I wasn’t an ardent follower of Jesus, my past was chequered, and I didn’t excel in essay writing in school. All I had were a few notes from reading my Bible on my way into work and a nagging restlessness compelling me to share what I’d learnt. It also helped that I had people in my life who believed that I could articulate my thoughts in a way others might find helpful. Today, hundreds of people have read my blogs in almost 100 countries. I’m convinced beyond doubt that I couldn’t have achieved that on my own.

The challenge with working with an invisible partner is that our limitations, which are usually conspicuous, often seem insurmountable despite our awareness of the all-surpassing power of God. Consequently, the devil, who is a master deceiver and manipulator, seizes on our vulnerable moments to sow seeds of uncertainty. Those seeds of doubt can become the biggest hindrance to any of us attaining the greatness God desires for us [Ephesians 2:10]. We aren’t the first to experience self-doubt [Exodus 3:11, Judges 6:15, Jeremiah 1:6]. Yet, an omnipotent God already knows our flaws and our excuses. So, if God deems it worthwhile to partner with us, shouldn’t that be a sufficient reason for us? 

As someone who was reluctant to partner with God but eventually took a step and can now see the fruits of that leap of faith, I understand the inertia and self-doubt involved in serving God. Scripture teaches that our accomplishments in God’s kingdom are due to His Spirit, not our strength or ability [Zechariah 4:6, 2 Corinthians 4:7]. So, we might be tempted to leave it all to the Spirit. I’m familiar with that temptation. Consequently, I  remind myself regularly that the feeding of the five thousand required someone to bring the seemingly insignificant five loaves and two fish. That’s my encouragement this week. Don’t minimise your five loaves and two fish. Offer your best to Jesus and see what He does with it. That’s a principle for life too. If you believe you’re in God’s will, act righteously with conviction; be proactive and take decisions that reflect your confidence in Him. Avoid passivity, and don’t hedge your bets with God. Such actions betray a lack of faith which will cost you [James 1:5]. 

On reflection, I can look back at moments in my life where being double-minded and ignorant cost me. However, I also have testimonies from moving at something my wife calls the impulse of the Spirit [Isaiah 30:21]. I’ve come to the realisation that being able to discern what God is saying per time [1 Chronicles 12:32] and having the courage to obey yields incredible results. Our limitations aren’t a barrier for God. He will supply all the grace we need to accomplish what He’s asked of us if we trust Him enough to walk by faith. Not only will we marvel at the outcome, but we’ll also become object lessons for others and hopefully encourage them to do the same.

Every thought seeking to convince us that we aren’t good enough to partner with God for whatever reason is a lie from hell. If God deemed us valuable enough to die for, He unequivocally considers us worthwhile partners to bring about His purposes in and through us.