Rest and work are part of God’s nature, and He has designed our lives to function with a combination of resting in God and working out our salvation.
Similar to the life of a newborn baby, our relationship with the Lord starts from a position of rest. A baby doesn’t have to do anything and yet everything is provided for him/her to grow healthily. Mom and Dad are going to spoon-feed the baby only for a season until the child has developed the ability to hold a spoon and feed themselves. At some point, the child will have to learn to crawl, walk, and feed themselves when he/she is hungry.
Salvation and being born-again bring us to the rest of God. There was nothing we could do to make it possible except to believe in the work of Jesus, confess our sins, and ask for His forgiveness. The Lord does His supernatural work in our hearts. However, we have a part in maintaining our rest and growing in Him.
Furthermore, growth and maturity require us to learn from the more seasoned believers. Many born-again believers miss the awesome opportunity of being discipled and mentored by mature believers assuming that they can do the Christian life on their own. Just as parents help a child to grow in a healthy way, we also need individuals who are willing to invest in our lives and show us how to live the Christian life and maintain our peace amid much confusion.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:12-16
Paul exhorted the believers to take ownership of their faith and walk with the Lord. The above passage tells us that God is working inside of us to change, grow, and rearrange us. While the internal work is the work of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, we also have a part to play for the work of salvation to manifest externally. This is where our work begins.
Growing spiritually in a dark and crooked world will require our effort, focus, and commitment. It will not come about by us being apathetic or aloof about it. God is going to do the work in us with our participation and willingness to be engaged in it. Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force (See Matthew 11:12). We need to exert faith in the direction of the Kingdom of God and fight for our peace and freedom. We want to continue to see the Kingdom of God in our midst and have a Kingdom mindset.
The above scripture tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Salvation is a priceless gift that is meant to change us and be multiplied as we share our faith with others. Working out our salvation means that we utilize the seed of life, which God has placed in us, and we exercise it. We are not meant to stay newborn babies for years to come. God’s purpose is for us to grow in strength and stature, so we can help other newborn babies and also expand the Kingdom of God. We will not grow spiritually by passivity. We need to believe the Lord, obey Him, and exercise faith, hope, and love in walking with God. The Lord takes pleasure in seeing us growing up. He also wants us to become the shining lights, so we can offer hope to others who are lost and are in bondage.
Is your relationship with the Lord is a combination of rest and work? Do you give Him reign to work inside of you? Do you do your part to exercise your faith and fight for your peace and freedom?