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Evidence God Is at Work in Our Lives
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- Updated Jul 20, 2023
“My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17).
Always is a big promise. We cannot uphold the promise of always any more effectively that we can uphold the promise of never. But God can. He is always working. Jesus is always working. The Holy Spirit is always working. But what is all of this work, and what does it have to do with us? “Man was created from the beginning in God’s image that he might image forth God’s glory,” John Piper wrote. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
“So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Jesus was in argument about working on the Sabbath with Jewish leaders when He said, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” They were upset Jesus had performed a miracle on the Sabbath. The Life Application Bible explains “Genesis 2:2 says that God rested on the seventh day, but this doesn’t mean he stopped doing good. Jesus was saying that when the opportunity to do good presents itself, we should not ignore it, even on the Sabbath.”
Work, in the context of John 5:17 and translated from the original Greek language it was written in, means to work out. The days on our calendars flip over with purpose. God goes before us, behind us, and is with us. We were created to bring glory to Him with our everyday lives. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear” (Philippians 2:12). Work, in this context, means to bring about. We bring glory to God by obediently following His lead on our lives, as the Holy Spirit progressively sanctifies us. Everyday life may seem ordinary, but if we stretch our perspective to align with the Lord’s, we’ll start to notice the extraordinary in our daily lives.
What Is God’s Work?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God’s plan all along was to save us from ourselves. He gave us free will, and we chose to rebel against Him. It began with the original rebellion in the garden, and continues to flood into our current existence. Jesus didn’t pop onto the pages of the Bible in the New Testament Gospel accounts. The apostle John clarified, He was with God in the beginning.
Jesus was sent to live among us and die for our sins. Through Him, we are justified by His atoning sacrifice, once for all (Romans 3:25-26). He did this to accomplish the will of His Father, so we can live life to the full (John 10:10). He came to give us an example to live by, though we will never accomplish it in perfection as He did, without sin. Jesus came to serve (Mark 10:45). God’s work is infinite and ongoing, from the scenery surrounding us to the days of our lives and onto eternity.
What Is Evidence of God’s Work?
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them. Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’” (Genesis 1:26-28).
We are evidence of God’s creation. “Very good,” is the way He described His creation. “In His image” gives us a sneak peek into the question of what God looks like and is like. “The existence and attributes of God are evident from creation itself, even though sinful human beings suppress and distort their natural knowledge of God,” James N. Anderson wrote. “Psalm 19 vividly expresses a doctrine of natural revelation: the entire created universe ‘declares’ and ‘proclaims’ the glorious works of God.” Beautiful sunsets and scenery around the globe automatically give way to the evidence of God’s creation. But He isn’t done yet. He’s still creating. Scripture says He knit us in our mother’s womb. We have unique purpose on this earth, as evidence of Him. In a parable Matthew recorded, Jesus said,
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:23).
The evidence of His work in our lives is the by-product of the work He has given us to do based on the talents He’s placed in us. Whatever our age and stage in life, He is working through our relationships with the people He has placed around us. The work we do is meant to point to Him. The way we live is meant to lead others to Him. We are made in His image. We are evidence of God. The Great Commission envelopes us as it did the original twelve disciples, to ‘Go!’ God’s goal is to reach every ear with the Gospel, and He’s never failed to keep a promise. We are part of that promise. Not because He needs us, but out of His love for us. The work He gives us isn’t easy, but it’s light. Matthew recorded Jesus words:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
The evidence of God’s work in our lives is the way we live them, in pursuit of Him. Telling of Him, not only with our mouths delivering Gospel truth, but our lives putting it on full display, bringing glory to Him with everyone who comes to know Him through us.
What Is Our Part?
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
Life has a purpose we cannot fully see from our limited perspective. Whatever we find ourselves doing, we’re called to do with all of our hearts. Not perfectly, because that’s an impossible thing for us to attain. God wants the totality of our hearts to be dedicated to Him. Our part is to put Him first, not ourselves and not the opinions or approval of other people. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Our part is to serve others with all of our hearts. Paul wrote to Timothy,
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Our part is not to lose perspective on our dependance upon Christ alone and our need for constant forgiveness and redemption in this life. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost,” Luke recorded Jesus’ saying (Luke 19:10). Our part is remembering we once were lost, and now are on a mission for the lost. To be evidence of Jesus to the people in our lives, which brings glory to God.
Additional Resource
NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary. Copyright © 2015 by New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible. Tyndale House Publishers. Carol Stream, IL. Copyright 2019.
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