Do/Have you ever want/ed to do ‘something’ even though you know there’s really nothing you can do? In my case, even though I knew it was totally impossible, I wanted to ‘repay’ the Lord for all He did and continues to do for me. But… is this even possible? Short answer – NO! It’s not possible and is the wrong emphasis in our thinking. Show me where in scripture it talks about His creation repaying the Lord or that He even entertains an expectation of our repayment. Doesn’t exist. So what can we do. Actually… quite a lot. Once we get our minds off a quid pro quo approach to the Father, He does tell us what He wants from us.
“For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” [Hosea 6:6 AMP]
“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]? [Micha 6:8, AMP]
God is telling us what He wants: loyalty-faithfulness and knowledge according to Hosea. He wants us to be just, to be kind, and to walk humbly with the Father. according to Micha. If there is any ‘repayment’ then this is what our Father wants. And is this repeated in the New Testament? Multiple times in multiple ways. What does Jesus want?
“Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].” [Matthew 9:13. AMP – also in Luke and Mark]
It says our Lord wants compassion. Probably not the ‘repayment’ you thought would be asked of you. And yet… it is the kind of repayment that is in line with the character of our Triune God. If we truly want to ‘repay’ the Lord for all He does, then we need to adjust our thinking to what He wants from us.
Repayment is never the focus for what our magnanimous Lord provides for us in all areas of our lives. His motivation is Love and helping us to be fruitful and become all we have been intended to be. Each of us is different, unique, special so one person’s ‘repayment’ won’t be what another person’s is… or is it? Of course it is! We all are called to follow according to the scriptures. So if one is asked to abide, then we all are. If one person is told to pick up his cross and follow… then we all are. Bottom line is that the Father wants all of us, all the time. Not the dribbles and bits we toss out when it is convenient.
Our ‘repayment’ is being completely, fully, willingly, willfully, sold out to the One who loves and cares for us, who came that we might have life and more abundantly, to be fruitful as we abide in Him. We take the time to develop our relationship so that we can be who we are in our world. That’s our repayment.
