Human Beings or Human Doings?

This won’t surprise anyone who knows me well, but I keep a “to-do” list. Especially as I have gotten older (those ‘senior moments are’ more frequent) my lists are indispensable! But in my defense, even young people (the efficient ones!) need to maintain “to-do” lists.

I have learned that one of Satan’s most effective strategies is to keep us so busy ‘doing’ our daily ministry that we fail to remember why we are doing them (this can be especially true of pastors and leaders!). Yes, we were created to do “good works” (Eph. 2:10; James 2:26). But our doing must always be a reflection of our being: who we are. Our “being” in Christ is the source of every impulse and activity. Jesus said ‘I work the works of my father… but I do nothing of my own… but only what pleases the Father’ (John 5:36; 8:29). Likewise, our doing should flow from our intimacy with God—and our desire to please Him.

Too many Christians are so caught up in doing that they describe themselves as ‘doers,’ e.g., “I am a teacher; I am a worship leader; I am a counselor, etc.” But it is not our ‘doing’ that defines us—but our ‘being.’ We should say 'because I AM His workmanship, I DO His work' (Eph. 2:10). Are we not God's human beings?