“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17 NASB) God does not
sit idly by having created mankind and the earth. God placed mankind in a position of such
importance that He bankrupted heaven by sending His son, by His grace, for our redemption. “The
fact that God is Creator ought also to make us recognize that we owe him life, limb, service, and
sanctification.”(Akin) I find myself in an odd position not knowing what my next profession will be.
After being medically retired from the military I find my vocation to be that of father, husband, and
servant. Knowing God is active in His creation means He is involved in my life as well. Nehemiah
9:6-31 recounts God’s role in creation and His continued involvement in the trials and triumphs of
Israel. Whether it be extending his grace in provision or in discipline, He continually involves Himself
with His creation. I have experienced it first hand through healing and deliverance from addiction as
well as conviction and fdiscipline. Scripture gives us many examples of God being active in his
creation. From creation, to the cross, to reconciliation, God, our sovereign has remained active in His
creation and the lives of all mankind. My biblical worldview and the doctrine of an active God is
paramount to me fulfilling my roles as father, husband and servant. Whatever God may call me to
next, it is clear these roles must come first.
As our creator and father, God’s nature, and His word provide guidance in my role as a father. My
goal is to raise a child that loves God, first and foremost. If I am successful my son will embody the
character traits God wishes every man to embody such as discretion (Prv 22:3), endurance (Gal 6:9),
gentleness (1 Thes. 2:7) amongst others. In order to be successful in doing so, scripture must guide my
actions as a father. “You shall love the LORD your God ; with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. "; ;
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and
when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. ; , ; ; ; ; You shall bind them
as a sign on your hand and they shall be as Or frontlet bands frontals Lit between your eyes on your
forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Dt 6:5-9). I must
continually seek God guidance or my post as father is abandoned. God provides examples of a fathers
responsibility. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) However more importantly, I must continue to keep God at
the center of my life. He promises to remain involved. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Jo
1:9)
As a husband, our active God provides instruction and guidance as well. God, by his Word, exhorts me
to be a provider, protector, and to love as Christ loved. “But if anyone does not provide for his own,
and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1
Tm 5:8) Being retired my family is provided for monetarily however that is not where the role of
provider ends. “He must be one who manages his household well, keeping his children under control
with all dignity.” (1 Tm 3:4) It continues in verse 5 to state if I am not able to manage my own
household then how can I take care of the church. This stands me up as a leader in my household as
well. Unless I actively pursue God, I know I will fail by my own merit. God made men and women
different to compliment each other in companionship. God has entrusted me in the care of one of His
daughters and a child. “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church, and gave
Himself up for her.” (Eph 5:25) Ellicot’s commentary states it this way, “Only so far as the husband
shows the like love in perfect sympathy, in chivalrous forbearance, in abhorrence of tyranny, in
willingness to self-sacrifice, has he any right to claim lordship.”(Ellicot) God calls me to be the
protector of my family as well as its provider. In the very same Ephesians verse He also calls me to
love. Christ provided a perfect example of what love looks like and at the same time shows God’s
continued activity in creation. This is possibly my greatest calling as a husband and father. Paul wrote
to the church at Corinth and provided a standard for what love is. “Love is patient, love is kind and is
not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own,
is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but
rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love
never fails…” (1 Cor 13:4-8) Unless I continually seek God and He remains active in my life, I cannot
fathom what the love of Christ looks like.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father who is in Heaven.” (Mt 5:16) St. Teresa of Avila stated, “Christ has no body but yours. No
hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the
world.” Our involvement in good works is evidence of God’s continued providence. That our works,
for His glory, are for our growth and our joy in fulfilling our God given purpose. In retirement I have
found I have a lot of time on my hands. Getting involved in my church and its outreach has been the
most rewarding thing I have ever done. When first called into the outreach ministry, it was out of my
comfort zone and challenged a lot of bitterness and preconceived notions for its place in my heart. My
step was purely out of obedience and not personal want. Even in that I find I am in the company of
God. “Have this attitude in yourselves, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-8) In this example of
Christ’s obedience and God’s activity in our redemption, I found growth in becoming a servant.
“Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way
among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:42-45) If my biblical worldview did not
consist of the doctrine of a God active in His creation, surely I would not find the fulfillment I do in
service of others.
As I move forward, certain in my most important calling as a father, husband and servant, it is
necessary to continually seek God and discern His activity in my life. It is through that discernment
that I experience growth and confirmation in God’s active involvement in my life and all of creation.
Even in Christ we are assured of God’s continued involvement. He said to them, “Why are you Or
cowardly afraid, ; ; ; you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and
Lit a great calm occurred it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a
man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Mt 8:26-27) We are further assured of God’s
providence through His Spirit. “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) That promise is as real now as it was in the upper room. An
inactive God would have left us to our own devices. In doing so we would have driven ourselves to
damnation. However, God, ever active, never forsaking, sent His Son for our redemption and His
Spirit for our reconciliation. “He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake
you.” (Heb 13:5)
Sources
Akin, Daniel. A Theology for the Church.
BH Publishing: Nashville, TN
Ellicot, Charles J. 1954. "Commentary on the Whole Bible,
edited by Alfred Barry, Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
