What do you want me to do?

“Why are you looking for me? Is it because you saw miraculous signs? The truth is, you are looking for me because you ate the bread and were satisfied. But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” The people asked Jesus, “What does God want us to do?” Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: to believe in the one he sent.” (John 6:26-29)

Some might be impressed with the miracles of Jesus, but others are drawn because of a curiosity that might just stem a bit deeper within their spirit. The miracles are always great, but to expect miracles every single day is unrealistic. Jesus makes things quite practical for these followers - believe in the one who sent me. The concern over earthly things might consume their thoughts, but this is not God's plan for any of us.

The work God wants us to do - believe in him. The world tries to get us to believe in things - in what we can achieve or gain because of our hard work, schemes, or just plain good luck. Yes, we need food and clothing, but Jesus reminded his disciples if they trust in him above all else, all their needs would be met by his Father in heaven (Matthew 6:31-33). Philippians 4:19 reminds us, "My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus." Life is more than us just 'doing stuff' to 'get stuff'. It is about trusting in the one who supplies all our needs.

Earthly things spoil and are ruined by time, normal wear and tear. We must guard our hearts against the pursuit of things above our pursuit of God's character being worked out in our lives. If we really want to 'put our hand to the plow', we should do it in our quiet time with Jesus. We can gain more in a few minutes with him, attention undivided and heart attuned to hear his voice, than we can in any amount of time we spend in our pursuit of worldly wealth or 'gains'. 

It is always a good thing to ask, "What does want me to do?" If we want to walk within his will and be in tune with his leadership in our lives, this is the place we begin. To be truthful here, asking this question each day would not be wrong. In fact, it might just set the tone for our days just a bit differently. We might just set aside some of our 'agenda' items and take on some new ones as he leads. Just sayin!