Working

God is already doing something to restore his creation. Am I participating in that and thus following Jesus? My stuff looks like me, coincidentally. I need to spiritually discern where God is already working in my community and participate in that (His) work. I do not necessarily need to create a work. So many people are preoccupied now with establishing "their ministry" while unbeknownst to them they are dying inside and will most probably become a statistic, burn out and leave ministry behind altogether. We cannot do the work of the Lord by sheer will and determination anymore than we can manufacture love that is not in us. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. We pray, "Holy Spirit come!" Within each calling is God's desire to restore His creation in some way, to get us back to zero (Eden). To the extent that we will allow God to love us right now, such is our capacity to truly love and to serve others maturely according to what Scripture has revealed of God's perfect will. Hence, our restoration is intimately tied to the restoration of those around us. Faith without works is like the only type of apple tree which bears no apples; a dead apple tree. Yet we have been gifted with the ability to choose life, speak life, and allow our faith to blossom into the good works that were preordained by God for us to walk in.