“The impact God has planned for us doesn’t occur when we’re pursuing impact. It occurs when we’re pursuing God. At long last, after a lifetime of striving, God was enough. Not God and impact or God and ministry. Just God.”- Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 9 of Primal as he observes that times occur in your life where you have no idea how you’re going to make it through what you’re going through. When Pastor Batterson experiences these moments, he falls back on this primal truth. Sometimes he even sings it: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Because, for all of us, enough failures dot the landscape of our past to remind us what we’re capable of. Thus, what God accomplishes through our lives occurs in spite of us, not because of us (emphasis Mark’s). As a result, we need God’s strength to accomplish what He’s called us to do. Mark adds:
“But God never calls us to do something we’re capable of. God calls us to do things that are beyond our ability so He gets all the credit. That’s how we learn to rely on Him. And that’s how we learn to love Him.”
Finally, Pastor Batterson wonders whether we spend more of our spiritual activity time managing God instead of seeking Him. For part of us desires a God we can control. However, moments in life happen that we either can’t control or lose control. Yet, these moments teach us an invaluable lesson. While that lesson ought to be the first one we learn, often it’s the last thing we come to terms with: “God’s God. And by default, we’re not.”
As Mark concludes, life will exceed your wildest expectations if you learn to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Because your life reflects His love.
Today’s question: What lessons have you learned after a lifetime of striving? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the annotated bibliography of Primal
