One of my favorite quotes from John Wesley is, “Pray like it depends on God; work like it depends on you.” I don’t always live it, but it echoes something an old wise king once said.
As King David was nearing the end of his life, he realized he wasn’t going to be able to build a temple for God in Jerusalem. God told him that his son and successor Solomon would complete the job (1 Chronicles 28:6). Turning over this monumental task to Solomon, He gave the following instruction: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
David emphasized to Solomon what he’d learned firsthand—that faith and effort go hand in hand. Clearly, the task before Solomon was going to require hard work, but he would ultimately have to depend on God to get the work done.
Is your faith in motion? For example, if you need to find a job, do you pray that God gives you a job as you fill out job applications and send out your résumé to potential employers? If you want better friendships, are you praying for God to bring them into your life and then intentionally investing in people?
God is God, and anything we have or accomplish is ultimately from Him. At the same time, He’s not going to do all the work for us. Instead, He respects the dignity He’s placed in all of us by calling us to roll up our sleeves and do what we can—working with Him to accomplish the task at hand.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Kings 12:1-24
More:
Read what the prophet Haggai told God’s people about the need to get to work when it came time to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Haggai 2:4).
Next:
How do your prayers reflect real faith in God? What work is God calling you to do?
tom felten on April 17, 2012 at 8:27 am
Love that quote from Wesley, too! We work our best when our aim is right—to glorify God in it: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23).
lukehferris on April 17, 2012 at 10:06 am
So true! That quote really speaks wisdom in daily life as well as relationships. That motivates me to not only pray for my friends’ salvation but to do the work in the step of sharing the gospel.
donnaspins on April 17, 2012 at 10:22 am
I have been in a new state for 10 yrs and have not made very many friends,, i have prayed for a good friend and have not received an answer yet.. what do you mean by investing in people?
Jeff Olson on April 17, 2012 at 12:38 pm
donnaspins, investing in people or relationships means that we initiate and reach out to connect with others. Instead of just waiting around for others to approach us (although it is nice when others do), we invite someone over for dinner or out for coffee. We are the ones who offer to lend a helping hand or text to see how a person is doing. It’s an investment of time and energy into establishing and growing a friendship.
donnaspins on April 25, 2012 at 10:42 am
Thank you for your response. I have copied and pasted it to print out so that i can go back and read it ot over and over and remember to do some of these things that you suggested. I get so wrapped up in things that is going on in my life i tend to forget other people.
jericho on April 17, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I love the quote as well, but is it not a quote from St. Augustine? I guess it might not matter, I just think “credit where credit is due”. (Us old guys are like that)
Jeff Olson on April 17, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Jericho, I’m all for giving credit where credit is due…most sources attribute the quote to Wesley, but some traditions attribute it to Augustine…Either way, it’s a great and challenging thought!
dm2jj on April 17, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Here’s a quote I like and would like to share: “Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you maybe a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil”. (Epictetus)
mike wittmer on April 19, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Jeff: I appreciate Wesley’s quote, and the point behind it. I also like the Calvinist reminder to “work like it depends on God” (because if God isn’t at work in us then are efforts are futile). Guess both are true, but from different perspectives. Phil. 2:12-13 brings them together, I think.
winn collier on April 21, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Mike got in line in front of me. I appreciate Wesley’s call (and your good explanation of our call) to our obedience. But I wish Wesley had said, “Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on God.” I’ve seen a lot of damage done from working like it’s up to me. However, I guess if our work is truly done prayerfully (God-dependent, as you explain), that will remedy it. This just makes me a tad nervous.
Unless God builds the house, we labor in vain.