Mike Focht 1/31/2025
When we are first saved, our questions naturally revolve around what a Christian is supposed to do. Coming out of the world, many people have absolutely no idea what it looks like to live daily life without drinking, substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, shallow porn use, filthy speech, etc. What do I do? becomes a fundamental question.
When we begin to mature in Christ, the question must change. Our calling is to conform to a Person’s image and character. We must ask more and more: Who does God want me to be? As opposed to: What does God want me to do? What we should do becomes clearer as we become familiar with God’s commands. Our concern then transitions from what we do to how or why we do those things.
Too many Christians settle down, happy with their outward actions but ignorant of their inward desires and character. They will argue all day about what entertainments Christians can or cannot participate in but will talk little about what makes them most Christ-like. There are many out there concerned about being a Christian, which for them means going to heaven (and I do not deny their salvation), but they show little concern for being Christ-like, being a light, or being a servant. Why can’t I be a Christian and stay home and watch TV? takes precedence over What would Christ-like service during my free time look like?
The problem here is that Christiany activities provide an escape from personal growth. We would often rather do something than submit to the disciplines that will cause us to be something. My outwardly Christian action of serving in children’s ministry can be an escape from learning to overcome my insecurities in a prayer meeting or placing my heart before the light of God’s Word. What I am doing is outwardly okay, but inwardly, it may very well be a sin of omission or disobedience. At the very least, my avoidance is causing a delay in the Spirit’s work of conforming me into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
In a perfect world, there would be no conflict between what we do and what we are, but we all know this world is not perfect. That is why we must be careful that the gospel of good works does not convert us. There are a lot of voices in the world calling us to do, do, do, and there seems to be less and less calling us to be still and know our God. Again, the conflict between what we do and what we are shouldn’t be there, but it often is. Perfect harmony will only be found in heaven where we also have perfect character.
What we do for Christ is only beneficial when it is in harmony with what we are in Christ. God isn’t seeking to get us to pitch into “the work.” God is seeking to conform us to the image and likeness of His Son so that our communion will deepen, our knowledge of Him will grow, and our fruit will be glorifying to His name. God is seeking the roots before the fruits. It is neither novel nor controversial to say that God wants His servants to be something before they do something. After all, He made us His sons and daughters before He called us to serve and reign with Him as kings and priests.
Our desire to only play worship for large adult crowds and ignore the need for music in junior high or the children’s ministry may hinder God’s desire to make us more humble. Our willingness to be hospitable to a small group may mask the use of our inhospitable tongue at home with our family. Our desire to hand out goods to the poor on the mission field may look good in pictures and also disguise our real need to grow in boldness and evangelism at home. Our isolation from the fellowship of the saints to break down chairs or set up tables may delay our growth in brotherly love. Our Sunday morning church attendance may justify the idolatry of self-love we display the rest of the week. Our desire for others to see us acting like Christians outwardly may stifle our need to become Christ-like inwardly.
Christiany busyness can be an escape from personal transformation of character. I believe most of us lean more toward doing than we do toward being. At least I find the temptation often in myself. So, if we genuinely and sincerely want to mature spiritually, we must recognize that God doesn’t simply want us to do Christian things. He wants us to be Christ-like people. Being conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus is God’s ultimate goal for our lives, and it is the Holy Spirit’s constant task. Becoming Christ-like will always be pleasing to the Father. A hypocrite can do good works, but good inward character can only come through the life of God in the soul of man. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.