God doesn't need you.

December 2, 2021 (Thursday)

 

As Christmas and the end of the year approach, people and organizations tend to do a self-evaluation. Christmas inspires us to think big thoughts, the main one is “peace on earth.” Trouble is as we aim high, we see how short we are of our ideals. Inspiration turns to despair.

 

Originations take inventory. The tendency is to measure building, bodies, and bucks (money). Our American culture has brainwashed us into thinking the bigger the better, the more the merrier, and resources amassed equal amazing. In short, we measure our worth on nothing Scriptural. We believe, falsely, the bigger bottom line the better we have done. In a church this means, the more we have done for Jesus.

 

Did you know God does not need us? God does not need you. God does not need me. Consider what Paul told the people on Mars Hill (Athens), “(God) doesn’t live in temples made with human hands. Nor is God served by human hands, as though he needed something, since he is the one who gives life, breath, and everything else.” [Acts 17:24b, 25 CEB] Buildings, God doesn’t live in them. Bodies, God is not served by us and needs nothing from us. Budgets, God provides everything.

 

So, if buildings are unnecessary to God and our service is unnecessary to God and everything is provided by God? Then what is the point of church? What is the point of following Jesus? See how ideals can degenerate into despair?

 

We need to dig deeper. If the first point is that God does not need us, then the second point is that God does what He wants to do, any way He wants to do it, and at any time. Paul continued, “From one person God created every human nation to live on the whole earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” [Acts 17:26 CEB] Everyone one of us has a common ancestor, Adam. Beyond that is a demonstration of God’s sovereignty, God determines the times and boundaries of nations. I know this sounds cold, but every nation (government) will cease to exist and every boundary will change. History, like life, is chaos without God.

 

Here’s the third thing we need to know. This despair and chaos has a purpose. Paul argues, “God made the nations so they would seek him, perhaps even reach out to him and find him.” [Acts 17:27a CEB] God does not need us, we are under the care of a God we cannot control or manipulate, but God WANTS us. To this end, God (the Father) has invited us into right relationship with Him through Jesus (the Son).

 

This we celebrate at Christmas. Reflecting on Isaiah 7:14, Matthew identified Jesus, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” [Matthew 1:23 ESV] Since we cannot reach God, God stooped down to us.

 

Let this seep into every pour of your soul. Jesus was, is, and always will be God, “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” [Philippians 2:7 ESV] Can you imagine a powerful, wealthy, important, and famous person giving up everything for the sake of someone else? Specifically, you.

 

Being “emptied” of all the privileges being divine, Jesus crawled in the dust like us, got hungry like us, got thirsty like us, and even cried at a friend’s grave. And if that were not enough emptying, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” [Philippians 2:8 ESV]

 

God does not need us. God has a purpose for us. God invites us into right relationship. As you chew on your Christmas goodies, attend Christmas festivities, and contemplate your year-end fearless moral inventory remember, “In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us.” [Acts 17:27b CEB]