What's in a Name?

When Nehemiah went to rebuild Jerusalem, he went with the authority of King Artaxerxes of Persia. The king gave him letters that allowed him to pass through every territory in the kingdom unharmed. He also gave Nehemiah letters that ensured he would get the supplies he needed to rebuild the temple. Without these letters, it is possible that one of the governors of the provinces would have taxed or imprisoned Nehemiah or turned him away and he would never have gotten to Jerusalem. Had he tried to go in his own name and under his own authority as cupbearer to the king, he may or may not have gotten through. With the king's authority, he was safe from all the governments on the way.

When I had my last job, there were times I would try to convince someone to do something because I wanted them to. Sometimes, they would do it, sometimes not. When Jim (our CEO) told me to do something a certain way and I told others what I needed from them to make it happen, I never got a no. It was usually yes and at worst, a "Let me go to talk to him about it first." I used his authority and others obeyed what I said.

In our daily lives, though, we often don't use the authority given to us through faith. Before I get into that point, though, it must be noted that to walk in this authority, one has to obey the one who has the authority. Had I told my coworkers something Jim hadn't told me, I would have gotten in trouble later, even if I'd gotten away with it at first. If Nehemiah had demanded more than the king's letters had given him authority to demand, he would quite rightly have been rejected. We can only do what we are given authority to do.

Which is why we can't trek on over to the nearest Ferrari dealership and say, "God says you should give me a new car." We have to be in God's will for His authority to benefit us. When we are doing what He wants us to, though, then there is no reason we should try to do it by ourselves. Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

In other words, it is not only foolish and much harder to try to do things on our own, it is impossible to have any real gain without God. Yes, you might get that promotion, but you can always be let go. Yes, that house is nice and big, but it's one big fire, tornado, or hurricane away from being toothpicks. Yes, you have money, but that can be sucked away in a heartbeat from any of a thousand different directions. Only God's work lasts. That's why the Bible tells us to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal," in Matthew 6:20.

When I try to do things on my own, I get frustrated. I also find that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. Even at my meager best, I'm not prescient and far from infallible. I can't seem to get much of anything right. Why, then, am I so hell-bent on doing it myself?