Lilies of the fields

How often we read well-known verses and precisely because they are so familiar, we often do not stop to consider the impact of them on our personal lives. The quoted verse is one of those – it sounds so right, we have heard it so many times, and yet – what is it really saying deep in our hearts?

God made those lilies absolutely beautiful. Even though He knew that they would bloom only for a short season, then wither and die. Even though He knew that they would not be world-changers, or preach the gospel to millions, or produce food for thousands of starving people. Even though He knew that many of them would not even be seen by any human being because of the remoteness of their location.

They are just lilies. Exactly as He intended. And He proclaims them beautiful beyond measure, much more beautiful than Solomon, the richest man to ever live, could ever make himself to be.

What is the secret that Jesus wanted to share with us here?

Those lilies are not striving to produce their beauty or working hard to do something to earn God’s love and admiration. They are not doing the work of God, they simply are the work of God, and in being true to what He made them to be, they are basking in His approval and acceptance.

This should be the uppermost perception in our hearts – to let our lives become the work of God, instead of us striving to do the work of God!

Pearls to ponder:

You are uniquely made by God, and only He knows what His original plan for you is. It is never a great idea to just start working in His Kingdom according to the expectations of those around you, however good their intentions towards you are. We all need to develop an intimate relationship with Him, so that we can become what He intended us to be, rather than to feverishly start doing all kinds of work for Him in the hope of being good enough in His eyes.

Let us use this year to focus on Him, to hear His voice, to only obey His calling, to grow where He planted us and ignore all the other demands on our time and energy and resources. And once you have reached that place of being a willing instrument in God’s hands, have the boldness to start walking that road, even if it involves leaving some familiar things behind.