What Have You Done For God Lately?

I rewrote this post a few times. I wanted to preach to you all. I wanted to provide scripture and teach you why doing for God is so important to your development. I wanted to state the obvious that it's better to give than to receive, and encourage you to do better. I wanted to tell you to stop asking for things without doing things - without first making changes. But no matter how I worded it, it wasn't coming out right. 

This isn't an encouraging post. It's not meant to inspire you. It's not going to serve as a sermon to start your week. This post isn't meant to uplift you or provide sunshine during your rainstorm. In fact, it's to light a fire under your butt. It's the reality check you so desperately need.

It's a "you better get yo'self before you wreck yo'self" post. It's a "reassess your life and the way you're dealing with God" post. 

Because you not dealing with God, is you dealing with God. You ignoring His presence until you need something, is dealing with God. You shoving Him in the bottom of your back pocket, until you need a favor is you dealing with God. That's not how you treat the Creator of all things and sustainer of eternal life. That's not how you treat the embodiment of everlasting, unconditional love. 

Perhaps that's how you deal with an acquaintance or a foe. That's how you deal with the people you're supposed to like because you work with them. Maybe that's how you deal with the people your teacher assigned you to work with on your group project. Or how you deal with the people you serve on a committee with - the ones you have to get along with but don't particularly want to. But that certainly shouldn't be how you deal with God. That shouldn't be what you choose to do with His accessibility, His love and His mercy. 

You ignoring His commands and neglecting Him, is you making a choice to do so. And just like you made choices to land you in the jacked up situations you're begging Him to take you out of, you failing to acknowledge and appreciate His presence, is a choice. It may, in fact, be the choice that landed you where you are today. 

Begging for mercy and asking for Him to revive you. The place that has you gripping to the edge hoping for a miracle - because you haven't sunk low enough to resort to prayer yet. You ignoring His power and true relevance in your life, is the reason you're suffocating and can't seem to rip the plastic bag from in front of your face. 

You're numb and are stuck fighting yourself, because you can't seem to acknowledge the importance of fighting the enemy instead. You've given up on life, on hope and on God. 

How do you give up on someone you've never truly given anything to? You never thanked Him. You never loved Him. Yet, because He hasn't responded to your current yell, you don't believe in Him. You don't trust Him. 

Now you find yourself tugging at the arm of Jesus' garment knowing He's never seen you before. You're expecting Him to deliver an amazing miracle, answer your prayers, milk your cow and cook your dinner, but, what have you done for Him lately? When was the last time you got on your knees to thank Him for all He has done for you? When was the last time you acknowledged His presence? When was the last time you displayed your love for Him?

What have you done that's deserving of the blessing you've been asking for? The blessing you're so quick to insult His power over. The blessing that you're willing to rip your soul from your body for. The blessing you so selfishly asked for without acknowledging whether it's in alignment with His plan for your life? 

Have you obeyed His word and commands? Have you been trying to establish a relationship with Him even if it's not quite perfect? Have you been speaking to Him outside of this "God just give me" moment you're currently having? When was the last time you spoke His name? Have you praised Him?

You have a false sense of entitlement to be delivered from your hard time knowing you've done nothing to deserve it. You wouldn't even lift your hands to pray had you not run out of other options. You expect God to give you what you want because He has to be God. "He's God. He has to be there for me." So you rely on that to be your savior, instead of allowing Him to be your savior. You do what you want all other days of the week, then when you want something you speak His name. You run to Him hoping for him to receive you; because well...you know He will. You think that His receipt of you is Him giving you what you want. You think that He owes you something. You think that you running to Him when you want something shows Him that you trust His power. But had you listened to Him in the first place, you probably wouldn't be in your situation. 

Had you tried to dive into His power, love and grace before, you'd know how far off the cliff you were jumping before you moved. You'd realize why you weren't supposed to climb that cliff in the first place. Had you sought after His presence as persistently as you're seeking it now, you would've recognized why you shouldn't have gotten in your car to drive to the cliff. You'd know why you should've sat in your house instead of heading outdoors that day. But now it's too late. Now you're at the edge of the cliff ready to jump, asking for God to bless you one second before you decide to. Now, you're in mid air asking for God to somehow snap a parachute to your back so you don't hit the ground below too hard. You're done ignoring Him and you're ready to acknowledge Him because you need something. 

But what have you done to warrant the blessing you're asking for? What have you done to make you think that God should deliver you from this hardship? He will, because that's who He is, but how much longer will you take from Him, without giving back to Him? How much longer will you linger on His front sidewalk before walking up to the gate? 

What have you done to deserve the things you're asking for? And more importantly, why do you think He owes you anything for your misbehavior and disobedience? It's time you start giving back to God for all He's given to you. It's time to listen. Time to respond. Time to pursue. Not just in hard times, but at all times. 

I urge you to enter the gates. I urge you to walk onto the porch and knock on the door. Not to ask for anything, but to simply let Him know you're His - finally. 

That's the least you could do.