God cares more about our hearts than results for him

In campus ministry years ago I worked alongside a student. They said yes to ministry ALL of the time because they were striving for their fantasy self.

Their fantasy self was the person who could do it all. Reach the whole campus, go to every prayer meeting, and follow up effectively with EVERY student they ever encountered. In order to make sure that happened, there were times where they nagged new people for 6 months and chased them down–just to convince them to come to our weekly meeting. 

On the outside they seemed like the perfect student leader: competent and gets “results”. But there was a dark underbelly to their choices (on top of the borderline harassing of new students). They always said yes to ministry and prioritized the work of God over God himself. And their own long term health. And their school work. It led to a crisis in their life. But when asked, they honestly thought their lifestyle was what God asked of them–they believed they were sacrificing for the gospel.

Am I oversimplifying this student’s experience, or even what led to their breakdown? Most definitely. But there’s a principle here that shouldn’t be missed: God cares more about the status of our hearts with him, than about what we accomplish for him.

It is foolish to think you are “sacrificing” for the gospel when you place ministry (or anything) always before caring for our whole selves (mind, body, and soul). Mismanagement is not sacrificing for the gospel. 

Everything we do (including, and especially resting) can be for God’s glory. We need to make sure that our actions reflect the right priorities, and that includes prioritizing time with God to help care for our whole selves.

While the example I shared above is about a student on a university campus (and can sound extreme), this can happen in my current season of life too. As a mom to young children I can get wrapped up in assessing the value of my day (or the value of myself) based on what I accomplish:

Is the laundry done, folded, and put away?
Is dinner prepped and ready to go?
Are the toys picked up and tidy?
Is the bed made?
Are the bathrooms clean?
Are we getting enough outdoor time?
Did we get into the right swimming classes?
Is my daughter dressed, prepped, and ready for her dance class?

The list of things to be done in the home, or the ongoing demands of ministry never end. And while each of these things matter, the don’t matter the MOST to God. God cares more about our hearts, and how (or if) they are aligned to his. The value of my day (or of myself) is not in what I accomplish for my home and family, and thus for God. My value is based on who God is, what he has done for me on the cross, and who has created me to be.

One of my daughter’s children books, How Much Is A Little Girl Worth by Rachael Denhollander articulates this so well:

“Your value is found not in what you can do
Or the things you accomplish and win.
It is found in how you were made precious girl–
Created and cherished by Him.

Your worth cannot fade; it will not go away;
It is not changed a bit by what happens today.
No one and nothing can make you worth less.
Just what is your value? You don’t have to guess.

No one has power to change what God’s done,
And He says you’re worth everything, even His son.
Worth all the pain, worth great sacrifice,
Worth leaving heaven, worth giving His life.”

Even when I accomplish nothing tangible, God still sees me as everything.

In John 15 Jesus offers this beautiful invitation:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Apart from Jesus, we can accomplish nothing of true value. Our hearts need to abide in his. To dwell in, and be centered in his. The invitation is for our hearts to abide in order to bear fruit (good things), not to accomplish more apart from him. We are to prioritize time with God himself over work we do for God.

This is one of the reasons why I’ve recently started a new 5 minute prayer practice. I need at least 5 minutes of daily stillness, coming before God on his throne. Sometimes I’m asking God to reveal what’s in my heart or process my emotions. Sometimes I bring before him requests on behalf of others. Sometimes I’m giving him thanks and praise.

Abiding in God, coming before him in prayer and stillness helps me care for my whole self. It helps me rightly prioritize time with God, instead of ruminate over all the unfinished work that burdens my home.

We don’t need to strive to become our fantasy selves, trying to “do it all”. There will always be something left undone. And in faith, we can entrust it to God who holds all things together. In faith we can prioritize the state of our hearts, coming to Jesus to abide in him, and ask him for wisdom about how to steward ourselves to serve him and others in a healthy way.

Photo by KINN Living on Unsplash.