What matters most to God: What we do? Or what we are?

It’s easy to say, “Well, of course what we are is more important than what we do.” But if you’ve had a hectic day and weren’t able to accomplish much of anything, and now you’re realizing that you have twice as much to do tomorrow, it’s very easy to feel discouraged, even worthless.

I remember coming home from an overseas trip when jet lag seemed to hit especially hard. I couldn’t seem to concentrate. “I’m not worth anything today,” I commented to my daughter. “Oh, you mean that you can’t get anything done,” she responded. I realized she was exactly right. I was equating my value with my ability to get something accomplished.

But God cares more about who we are than what we do for Him. In Psalm 46:10 God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” That verse is about as contrary to our culture as any in the Bible. We lead such busy lives that we find it hard to do what God is asking us to do—be still. But if we do what He asks and quiet our hearts before Him, our reward is that we know He truly is God and will meet the needs of our lives.

And these principles don’t change with age. That means if we get to an age when we can’t accomplish the same number of tasks as we did when we were younger, our value in God’s sight does not diminish. What God longs for is our companionship and the devotion of our hearts. Jeremiah (30:21b NIV) records God’s desire for a relationship with us. He asks, “For who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?”

How will we answer?