Devotional: God Who Works In Us

How much of what we do is us? How much us God working in us?

I would submit, it’s both.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2, NKJV)

Work out our own salvation ... because it is God who works in us.

How on earth can that be?

In all the debates between faith vs. works, this is the concept that seems hardest to wrap our brains around.

We give ourselves ... we surrender, we pour our hearts into what God has for us ... and the beautiful mystery is that in the giving, in the surrendering, God is the one preparing us, softening our hearts, pouring His Spirit over and through all we do. We cannot even desire to do the right thing without the Holy Spirit’s influence.

That means I can’t even want to do good without Him.

So, what is my own willingness? What is God working in me?

Both. All of it. And until we reach eternity, I’m not sure we really can properly comprehend it.