By Caro March 14, 2025
When we are generous and compassionate toward others, we are always ready to offer our talents to meet needs. But before doing anything, we must always talk to God.
The church needs help with Sunday school, since she loves children, she volunteers. If the church starts an intercession program on Wednesdays, since she loves to pray, she agrees to be one of the leaders. If the church needs someone to teach a Bible study, with her theology studies, she immediately says, “I’m here!” If her community needs help to serve the needy, since she is a Christian and compassionate, she immediately offers her services. And after a while, she is exhausted, depressed, and feels like her dreams aren’t coming true.
Does this scenario sound like you? In the body of Christ, there are Christians who need a lot of motivation to do their part in the growth of the Kingdom of God. But other children of God are at the opposite end of the spectrum: they invest far too much. We must remember that just because there is a need and we have the talent to meet it, it doesn’t mean God is asking us to respond. Even our good deeds, even the works we want to do for God, must first receive His approval.
Let’s take the example of Martha, who did much to welcome Jesus into her home. “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:39-42 NKJV).
We also have the example of Moses, who killed an Egyptian to defend his Hebrew brother. He responded to a need for justice with the strength he had, but without asking God if it was the right thing to do. This led him into exile for over 40 years. King Uzziah loved God and was loved by Him. But at the end of his life, the king wanted to serve in the temple, without God asking him to. It was not his place, even though he had all the knowledge and physical strength to do so. By persisting in wanting to do this, he contracted leprosy, and his body could not even be buried with the other kings because of the disease (2 Chronicles 26).
By engaging in service, we may feel we are pleasing God and being a “good Christian” who meets the needs of the body of Christ. But it’s also possible that God didn’t want us in that position. We are depriving the person God called to that position of receiving their blessing. Sometimes, if we respond to someone’s need, we prevent God from fulfilling His plan in that person’s life. Perhaps God wanted that person to experience a lack for a time so they could learn to depend on Him. Our response will have deprived them of this precious lesson. If a project isn’t moving forward, it may be because God doesn’t want it to move forward. If we push that project forward, we won’t have time to advance what God truly wanted to accomplish.
“If the enemy can’t stop you, he’ll push you to take on too much until you fall”, said an exceptional woman of God (my mother!). Meeting needs without God asking us to do so will also exhaust us. God gives us the strength to do His will every day. Not to do His will, and our will, and the will of others. Even when service seems legitimate and is done in the name of the Lord, if this service has not been asked of us by God, we will become exhausted and no longer have time to work on the true calling God has placed on our lives.
If you are mentally overloaded, bring your to-do list to God and ask Him if you are on the right track (Psalm 139:23-24). He will surely answer, “I never asked you to do all this.” So, ask Him what He wants you to do today and in the coming months. And stick to it, despite all the requests you hear.