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Evildoers

             Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23

 

                This is another of those frightening passages that reveals that Jesus isn’t always all warm and fuzzy. People who have prophesied, driven out demons, and performed miracles in Jesus’s name might be rejected by Jesus. Nothing in this text suggests that these evildoers only pretended to prophesy, drive out demons, or perform miracles.

                There are times when I wonder whether I am actually saved or whether I’m like the evildoers who did great works, especially since I don’t see myself as having any noteworthy fruit. This is one of the reasons why WDA (wisdom, direction, attitude) is my prayer request so often. When I wonder about this, I have learned to go to God and ask for His guidance. If I am one of the evildoers described, I want Him to do something to change that. And when I feel like beating up on myself because I am so often so afraid, I remember petting Honey’s ears and thinking about how this was a way I could communicate love to her frightened, broken mind. If I could love her, surely God can find a way to love me despite my fear.

            Today’s verse reminds us not to live based on assumptions but to truly seek God because He will meet us. The works we do in His name are valuable to us only if we don’t hold on to them as valuable to us. Our works are of value only if He is working through us. If we claim His work as our own, we have joined the evildoers. 

Please Lord, reveal to us when we claim  Your work as our own or when we try to work in our own strength. Call us back to Yourself, so that we never have to hear what Jesus warns us about.

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