A lesson from birds...Part 4

One more lesson I learned from the birds in my yard....

Their purpose...

Birds just do what they are created to do. I didn't see them running, jumping, or climbing. They didn’t try to meow like a cat or bark like a dog. They didn't read a book or play on a swingset. They just did what God created them to do and didn't waste time trying to do what God never intended for them to do!!!

And this is probably the most important lesson we can learn from the birds. We always get in to trouble when we try to be something we were never created to be or do things we've never been supposed to do.

For years, I thought that to be a good Christian, certain things were expected of me. I thought that the Christians that pleased God most were those that “did” the right things – worked hard for Him and tried their best to not sin. So I tried to do all those "right" things, tried to keep from doing "wrong" things, but failed often in my efforts.

And from what I saw, that was pretty much the norm for most of the Christians I knew. But the truth is that all our efforts were spent in pursuits toward something God had already done for us!!


You see, I've found that most Christians spend their whole lives trying to get what they already have (holiness and righteousness), trying to be what they already are (saints of God who are pleasing in His sight), and trying to do what God never intended for them to do (work hard "for" Him)!!!

All He wants you to do is what He made you into a holy new creature to do. What is that? It's just to rest. Does Mt. 11:28 say “Come unto Me all of you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you an assignment?" No! It reads, "I’ll give you rest." And goes on in Mt. 11:29 to read “…and you will find rest for your souls.

God does not expect us to expend our energies. He doesn't want us to depend on our strengths and abilities. It’s not about us. It’s all about the life of Christ in us. We rest in Him and He does His work through us.

You may have heard it said that it’s difficult to live the Christian life. Nope. It’s impossible to live the Christian life because it's not our life to live. Only One could live that life. Christ alone could do it. It's His life.

You were not created to live the Christian life. You were created to be the vessel through which Christ continues to live His life. As you rest in Him, He continues living His life through you and you get to “experience” the Christian life as He lives it. And what He does will always be pleasing to God!