claiming

Not long ago.. one morning, i was walking from my place to the church and i saw quite a lot of bugs on the road (alive). And as i walked by a bit further up, i saw a lot of birds hanging around. Looking at these two things, i asked myself - "What do birds eat?" and i remember some stuff i read beforehand that birds eat seeds and some eat bugs. And it gets me remembering about what someone said to me long time ago. 

This person is a very godly Christian, she loves animals and often does little things to make the life of animals a little bit happier - like putting muffins or bread on her veranda so birds can eat it. She once said to me - "Isn't God amazing - somehow, He allows some people to take care of His creation and gives food to His creation".  At that time, upon hearing this - I was so amazed and awed by the statement - at how true and marevellous it is!

But the event that happened that one morning revealed to me an even GREATER aspect of God. Luke 12 said "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable are you than the birds!" This verse was made clearer to me that day than ever. 

If my friend said "He allows people to take care of His creation", this verse reveals that it is GOD ALONE who is taking care of His creation. If the whole world refuses to care about the birds- the birds can still live because God is taking care of them. He needs not to use us, His creation, to take care of His other creation.

BUT BUT BUT - i know what i just said is so awfully dangerous and can be easily misunderstood. I am NOT at all saying that we should not do all these things. But I am just amazed of how sometimes we often like to claim our "good deeds" rather than praising God that made us able to do such deeds. 

I often like to claim that what I do to people is the ultimate weapon to bring others to Christ. What i am and what i can give defines how that person will preceive Christ. Which is dangerously wrong in many aspect. 

When a person came to believe in Christ because another presistently pursues that person to believe in Him.  It is NEVER the work of that pursuer that made the person to believe in Christ - it is solely the work of God Himself. It is God who put the desire to pursue in the pursuer and a new heart as a replacement of the dead heart of the dead sinner.  The tool has no right to claim that it is because of his/her deeds or initiatives - because to begin with - even the desire to initiate and to be used was given by Him who is able.

Anyway... my point from this post is ... not only that we should not worry about our tomorrow because He who is able, is taking care of us. And also that knowing this fact should not make us more prideful of our "so-called-achievement" but more humble because knowing that we don't deserve it, He even gave us more than we need ... MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE.