Support-raising is really a wonderfully horrible, or maybe a horribly wonderful, place to be. It is a place to carry out Philippians 2:12-13. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” You can’t lean on your abilities (Prov. 3:5-6). You can’t believe that your insight or ingenuity or your hard work will make it happen. At the same time, you can’t sit on your hands. I’m not saying that “God helps those who help themselves.” That’s not the point either. God is going to work through my abilities, but he’s also going to work in spite of my abilities. In fact, his work in me and for me is not limited by my abilities. But he’s also going to work for me in spite of my failures and inabilities.

Listen to this quote from A.W. Pink. “What is God’s remedy for dejection at apparent failure in our labours? This – the assurance that God’s purpose cannot fail, that God’s plans cannot miscarry, that God’s will must be done. Our labours are not intended to bring about that which God has not decreed.” Maybe he would go on to say that our labors are intended to bring about that which God has decreed.

I think we forget the “fear and trembling” part of the Philippians passage. We don’t simply work hard for Jesus; we work out, live out, carry out, our salvation (we don’t work for our salvation; we work out our salvation), and we do so with fear and trembling. Our salvation is our relationship with God. You see, I think the issues of our lives are less about getting to some desired end result (support raised for me; substitute whatever task you have before you that occupies your conversations with God), and they are more about what God is doing, and wants to do, in my soul in the process. God is just not that concerned about support-raising; I really believe that. He’s concerned about my soul. Support-raising just happens to be the tool that He feels is necessary to use right now to bring about his desired change in my soul. That’s why there is fear and trembling involved. I am to work out my relationship with God knowing that I am on holy ground. I expect that Abraham was fearful and trembled when he heard that voice from heaven halting his knife-filled hand, when Moses removed his sandals before the burning bush, when the disciples kept giving away bread and fish without reducing the supply. We carry out our walk with God knowing that he is at work in us. That will make you scared; that will make you tremble. It is an awesome thing to know that God is at work—that he is always at work—in the mundane issues of life, like support-raising.

And he is at work, according to verse 13, to bring about his good pleasure. So what brings God pleasure? Well, here is at least one thing. Psalm 147:10-11 says this: “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” Maybe what God is doing is using support-raising (and everything else in life, for that matter) to cause me to fear him, to hope only in his steadfast love.

I think “working out my salvation” is far less about working hard for Jesus, than it is about working hard to trust Jesus, to find his love for me to be my only hope.