One viewpoint: God acts and works through us. God is at work all the time. God plans our lives. God sustains the creation. God works behind the curtain. God works for our good. God works for us to rescue us from getting lost. God works in us.
Another outlook: God is the boss; we work for Him. Many times God uses us, believers as well as nonbelievers, to accomplish His projects. We are God’s agents. We were created for His work. We work to glorify God.
Some question: Will God still work for us if we do not believe in Him?
We are told: Trust God and his work ethics, and wait for him.
Lord Krishna points out in the ancient Bhagavad-Gita: “Engage yourself in my work, for selfless service can lead you at last to complete fulfillment.”
We asked our panel: Do we work for God or Does God work for us?
Neither, nor
Karen A. Foster, minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada
Like many of the big questions of life and theology, there is no definitive answer to this question; moreover, I do not see it as an either/or proposition. Therefore, my response is ”Neither, nor.” I do not believe nor experience that we “work” for God or that God “works” for us.
If there is a sustaining, creative energy of love in the universe — which many might call God — I can imagine such spiritual energy with which we partner, more or less mutually, to accomplish more love, more compassion, more presence, more relief of suffering in the world. It gives me hope to feel that we are not alone in this work but that there is something larger than ourselves that calls us to be our best and highest selves and believes in us, and helps us to accomplish all that we can, together in collaboration.
Human/divine partnership
ElizaBeth Webb Beyer, Jewish rabbi
An intimate partnership between G-d and humans is possible. For this to work, it requires us to be humble, acknowledge G-d’s greatness, and serve G-d. So, initially, we must strive to work for G-d by becoming humble, ethical people. “Serve the L-rd your G-d, and G-d will bless your bread and water.” (Exodus 23:25). Daily work must be done to seriously commit to a spiritual path and maintain forward momentum. It’s not an easy task.
Further, our Sages say, if you make G-d’s will your sole priority, G-d will do the same and make your choices G-d’s priority. (Pirkei Avot 2:4). When there is a complete congruence, where the human and Divine Will intertwine with complete resonance (bittul b’metziut), then, the partnership is complete. There is no separation. The work that is done furthers the positive choices of the individual as well as the unfolding of the Divine plan.
Matter of synergy
Stephen R. Karcher, presiding priest, Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church
God first works for us, as the Lord once said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). His work is to do things like restoring sight to the blind and raising the dead. This has been consistent over the centuries, because a thousand years before Christ the psalmist described the work of God, saying he is the one that “forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,” he “redeems your life, crowns you with love and compassion, satisfies your desires with good things.”
The testimony of Scripture is that God is at work constantly caring for his creation, upholding “the universe by the word of his power.” Furthermore, humans that have been “created for good works,” are not only called to imitate the Lord, but are actually designed to be God’s co-workers, so that together we fill the world with goodness and beauty.
Born with a debt of gratitude
Nancy Lee Cecil, Baha’i teacher
Scientists say the probability of being born is about one in 400 trillion. The Buddhists call this probability a “precious incarnation.” I thank God every day for allowing me this precious gift. Thus, we work for God because we owe Him an enormous amount of gratitude.
Though every day we also ask God for blessings, such as healing and protection for ourselves and loved ones, sometimes even this feels ungrateful considering what we have already been given. Therefore, instead of asking God what He can do for us, Baha’is ask what we can do for God by way of service to humanity.
We believe the purpose of life — to know and worship God — is the ideal way to express our gratitude. In the words of Abdu’l-Baha: “… all effort … put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the … will to do service to humanity.”
God works for us because we can’t
Bryan Smith, lead pastor, Summit Christian Church, Sparks
It would be naïve to think that we, the creation, have the Creator working for us like we’re the employer and he’s the employee. It would be equally naive to believe that we can work for God and produce anything of value for him. Why? Because we are utterly bankrupt. We are weak. We are not sufficient to produce anything of value on our own (John 15:5).
Yet, Isaiah 64:4 declares, “No eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.” Yes, God works on our behalf simply because we can’t. We see this in the efforts of Christ who came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). This is the beautiful reality of a God who loves us and wants what is best for us. It is humbling to acknowledge that God intervenes and works on our behalf.
Neither seems likely
Kenneth G. Lucey, philosophy/religion professor emeritus, University of Nevada
Suppose for the moment that the traditional God exists and many people believe in that existence. Then it would seem that such believers would strive diligently to obey the moral code dictated by such a deity. People following God’s moral code are assuredly “working for God.”
This traditional God is also assumed to be both all-good and all-loving. It seems reasonable to say such an omnibenevolent being is consistently “working for us.” Yet, anyone taking a clear-eyed view of reality, with its raging wars and pandemics, should find it hard to conclude that there is such an omnibenevolent agency at work in the real world. Why indeed would an all-powerful and all-good God, who was “working for us,” allow millions of people to die from a deadly virus, or why would committed Russian theists endorse an invasion of Ukraine? The traditional “argument from natural evil” counts against such an existence.
We work for our benefit
Sherif A. Elfass, member, Northern Nevada Muslim Community
Allah (SWT) created us from absolute nothing. He then created the universe and established the system so we can live in this world. His “work” did not stop there; Allah is the provider, cherisher and sustainer. But that does not mean He “works” for us. He is like the owner of a large company who takes care of his employees. The owner provides to his employees, but he does not work for them; It is the other way around. The only difference is that our work is for our own benefit. Allah does not need our work. It won’t add or diminish anything from His kingdom. It is us who need to work hard for His sake because through our good deeds, and our worship, we succeed. We have nothing to offer to Allah, but Allah has His paradise which only He can grant it to us.
I am the vine, you are the branches
Daniel H. Mueggenborg, bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno
For Christian disciples, relationship with God is never transactional. Jesus cautioned us to avoid prayer which tries to influence God to do our will (Matthew 6:7) and he also calls us beyond any attitude that serves God out of a desire for reward or to avoid punishment (Luke 17:10).
True disciples have died to themselves so that it is Christ who lives and acts in them. When we live in this indwelling communion with the Lord, then it is Jesus who works through us to accomplish his work in the world. Therefore, we become willing and eager instruments of God’s initiative. There is a fundamental and important difference between “working for God” and “doing God’s work.”
The primary motivation for such an obedient and courageous cooperation with divine life is always to be love (John 14:15 and John 21:15) because “Love transforms one into what one loves.” (Catherine of Siena).
… and I work for nobody but you!
Matthew T. Fisher, resident priest, Reno Buddhist Center
Buddhism is nontheistic. We have trouble creating a sensical translation of some interfaith questions like this. We do not agree that “we all believe the same things,” as some suggest. Religious traditions have unique qualities, some more than others.
In the case of a god idea, Buddhism is singularly uninterested. When asking complex questions about god and creation the Buddha was silent. His silence indicated that these questions are not productive in the elimination of suffering in the world. So, he and we spend no precious time addressing them.
It is clear the Buddha espoused a worldview without separate self-existent self. So, we are all part of a vast universe of interconnections. In that way our existence clearly is integral to the whole, so in our small way we work for the whole. The universe is a loving wholeness, each part depending on all the others.
Both
Micheal L. Peterson, northwest Nevada media specialist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
God works on our behalf. In fact, it is the very reason for His being. When He spoke with Moses, He made this perfectly clear when He stated “this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) Indeed, everything He does is toward this purpose. Additionally, if we decide to follow God’s commandments, love and serve one another, then we are working for Him in helping to accomplish His great work and add to His glory.
He already has brought to pass immortality for each and every person who has or will come to earth. He has done this, as He has done everything, through His Word which is His beloved Son, Jesus Christ and Christ’s magnificent atonement. Yet there are even greater blessings than immortality awaiting those willing to live a higher law — even a celestial law.
What a great question!
Dawn M. Blundell, senior pastor, Epworth United Methodist Church, Fallon
I want to say, both. And neither. The Bible tells us in Luke 12 that God’s rejoices in giving us everything we need. In another passage, John 14, Jesus says that everything we ask for in Jesus’ name, we will receive. It can be tempting to cling to these passages, especially when we badly want or need something. But it makes God into a genie in a lamp who grants wishes if we say or believe the right thing.
Suffice it to say, this is not the God I know. The God I know does not “work” for anyone. Rather, as loving parent, God takes delight in listening to and providing for us. And we don’t work for God either, not as servants might satisfy the whims of a tyrant; rather, we respond to God’s love by cultivating relationship with God, and by loving and serving one another (Matthew 25:40).
Next week’s topic: Should there be gender roles in family and society?
Faith Forum is a weekly dialogue on religion produced by religious statesman Rajan Zed. Send questions or comments to rajanzed@gmail.com or on Twitter at @rajanzed.
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