If God is in control of everything, then why do we bother to work? Why bother to pray? If He’s got it all figured out, knowing which blessings He plans to dole out and the best times to do so, why ask for anything at all? And more to the point, why should we ask Him to bless the school financially when doing so doesn’t change His plan?
In brief, knowing God is in control is not intended to prevent our faithful behavior. Rather, it ought to energize it.
First, God commands us to ask. Knowing our anxious thoughts doesn’t keep God from wanting us to bring Him our requests: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:4-6).
Our faithful praying makes God’s act of blessing an answer to prayer. And He loves to answer the prayers of His saints.
What’s more, God commands outcomes as well as means to those outcomes. When it comes to growing our school, we all have opportunity to be used by God, whether it means bringing in families or funds.
Last, our confidence in the sovereign control of God frees us to rest and feast. Come next Friday night, my biggest concern will be that my heart is rightly oriented to give God thanks along with you, as I fully trust that He will bring in as many dollars as He wants. No more, no less. And while I care deeply about the school, I won’t fret a moment over the dollars; He is in charge, not me.
If you’re reading this, consider feasting with us on May 11 and becoming part of the extended family of our school. If you can give cheerfully to the school, awesome. If your contribution is grateful and merry feasting and packing away a second dessert, then cheers! Regardless, please RSVP to Jolie Hall (jhall@evangelcs.org) by this Friday (May 4) so we can plan for your presence.
Risus est bellum!
Jonathan