The Art of doing Nothing for God
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 14:5
How often in my life have I either lived my life and kept God confined in his own designated corner, or I rushed ahead impulsively to serve him while he was back there waving his arms calling, “Wait! It’s not time—where are you going?!” In either case, every time, I did not bear fruit. In fact, I probably let the fruit wither on the vine, or trampled it underfoot. When God tells me to wait, stay, remain, linger, abide, tarry, or rest in him, he has a purpose in mind. Doing nothing isn’t really doing nothing.
Quality time vs. Quantity time
For a while, American society adopted a concept of “quality” versus “quantity” when it came to the lack of time we had in our crazy-busy schedules. Feeling deflated that we only had a little bit leftover for loved ones, we buoyed ourselves with the idea that if we made that time really good and special, then it would suffice. Unfortunately, over time the general consensus was that we were kidding ourselves—especially when it comes to relationships.
Jesus said that of everything in the Bible, the first and greatest command for me is to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind (Matthew 22:38). Doesn’t it seem easy to read that and think, “Okay, ‘Love God’—check! What’s next?” I have come to realize that God wants us to spend a lifetime—our whole lives—discovering what it means to love him with every fiber in our being. Unless we dedicate ourselves to remaining in him, loving him, savoring his love for us, everything that we do for God is a waste time.
To me one of the scariest passages in the Bible is when Jesus says that people who do amazing things in his name will not enter his kingdom unless they obey God’s command (…and the greatest command is to love him). The paraphrase in The Message puts Matthew 7:21-23 this way:
"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'”
How to Do NothingWell
Spending time with God shouldn’t be a program that we plan. Even praying (talking to God) should take a back seat to silence—just listening and being with God. In the Apprentice Study by James Bryan Smith, the soul training exercise of silence is often the hardest discipline for many people to practice. We are so accustomed to taking charge, that leaving ourselves hanging there, being with God feels very uncomfortable—at first. Soon though, you keep practicing, you may find yourself almost feeling guilty at how wonderful it feels to just sit there basking in the warmth of love that God lavishes onto us if we will let him.
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