...initiative...

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner John 5:19

Why do we do what we do? What is the motive for the ministry decisions we make? I am on many mailing lists of both IC and simple church practitioners. Thru them I see such a huge spectrum of activities aimed at advancing the Kingdom of God (I assume..). How much of it all (my own endeavors included) actually has its genesis in the Heart of God? Here is a brief look at some of Jesus’ initiatives as recorded by John.

John 5: 30“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 8: 28So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.
John 8: 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.
John 12: 49“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
John 14: 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.


John discloses one thing that Jesus modeled doing from His own initiative. He made the choice to lay His life down.

John 10: 18“No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

We can choose to lay down our goals, our agendas, our programs, our desire for success, our ministry aspirations, our lives… Then maybe we will be freed up and available to follow thru on assignments of His choosing!


mickey mooney