You know those voices in our head, “Am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough?” It can take place with work, relationships, friendships, family and our faith in Jesus.
Throughout God’s Word we see God’s Word call us to “do.” Matthew 28, “Go and make disciples!” James calls us not only to be hearers of the word but doers of the Word. But God’s Word teaches us that our “doing” comes out of our “being.”
It’s why Jesus invites us to abide with Him (John 15). And we will bear much fruit. The challenge is that our culture naturally pushes us toward “doing.” (Example, “What do you do for work?”) Doing is tied to our salary, identity, awards and “doing” is so ingrained in our culture that sometimes we don’t feel close to God unless we are “doing” something for Him. So what’s “being“? Here’s a chart to help us distinguish:
Am I Doing Too Much?
Being
- Interior
- Abiding
- Solitude
- Intimacy
- Invisible
- Rest
- Real life
Doing
- Exterior
- Serving
- Engagement
- Activity
- Visible
- Work
It doesn’t take much to put lots of emphasis on our “doing.” Our accomplishments and achievements feed our insecurity and significance and sometimes this can carry over into our ministry. However, the reality is that life in Jesus (being) is countercultural. Rest, solitude, dependence on God – these are things that make little sense from a worldly perspective but from a kingdom perspective however, they breed life.
The Bible clearly advocates for doing. (James 1:23-25, John 2:18, James 1:22) Both being and doing are scriptural and interrelated but the biblical order is critical: what we do should flow out of who we are, not the other way around. Otherwise, our worth and identity are determined by our achievements and accomplishments and when we stop performing we might conclude that we cease to be valuable. But that’s not the gospel! Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners. Jesus loves us while we are sleeping. Jesus loves us when we don’t do anything for Him! It doesn’t mean we should stay in that place but we should definitely glory in that truth and remind ourselves of that truth often.
Here are a few questions to further this conversation through prayer with the Lord:
- What’s your motivation for serving others?
- Are you expecting the Lord to show you favor because you serve others?
- Do you hold your “acts of service” with white knuckles because this is “your” area of serving?
- Are you trying to fulfill every need and request in order to please people and meet their expectations?
- Are you de-energized, tired and frustrated with serving and caring for people?
These are all great questions to process with the Lord through prayer or with someone in your group, so that we can increase our prayers for one another.
North Village Church
This article was written by Pastor Michael Dennis, Lead Pastor at North Village Church; a non-denominational church in Austin, TX, established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
Check out our North Village Church calendar highlights such as our Christmas Eve Service in Austin and Easter Sunday Service.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information, please call (512)-623-9272 or email [email protected]
NVC Online
Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.
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