Recently, my two "big" girls (4 and 2 at the time) were "helping" me unload the dishwasher. This involved them wiping off the dishes and either handing them to me or precariously balancing them on the edge of the counter. The dishes weren't fully dried, and many of the cups my daughters handed to me slipped out of their tiny hands back into the dishwasher. Honestly, they're making this more difficult for me, I thought with a smile as I watched them earnestly trying to help with this chore. My girls beamed with pride as they "helped" me; they felt so important and useful.
I realized in that moment that I am like my girls as I "help" God. He doesn't need my help - He is completely self-sufficient and more than able - but he asks me to partner with Him anyways. He chooses to use me, to build me up, to train me in His ways to make me more useful instead of just doing His work on His own.
What a patient Father we have, that He would invite us into the process of bringing His Kingdom to earth! He empowers US that we might participate in ministry with Him. He could do it instantaneously, without even uttering a word, but instead gives us the gift of partnering with Him.
And He has even greater purpose as we "help" Him - He purifies and perfects us, pruning us to make us more fruitful. He's working on us as we work with Him in all of our weakness and insufficiency.
Just as I let my girls "help" me, so does the Lord allow us into His Kingdom mission. We are completely dependent on Him even as we serve Him. How beautiful that He gives us a sense of purpose and pride in partnering with Him. I'm thankful for this God who invites us in and propels us into Kingdom work despite our shortcomings. What a good and loving Father we have!
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