“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” // John 6:28
My sister was trying to make a difficult decision. She went back and forth, weighing the consequences of her yes or no as we talked things through. What was God asking of her?
One day she sent me a quote someone posted on social media. It read: “Does anyone else just wish that Jesus would walk into your kitchen, sit down next to you with a cup of coffee, look at you and say, ‘Ok, here’s what we’re going to do.’”
I get that. How often I have begged earnestly for clarity in my decision-making. And the Lord, in His wisdom, didn’t always spell things out.
The Apostles understood this all too well. In today’s Gospel, they ask the Lord point-blank, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” (John 6:28). God loved them for their practicality! They were looking for direction, perhaps even a to-do list, something they could run down and check off with satisfaction and a sense of completion.
Their hearts were earnest.
Jesus’ reply was a touch more nebulous that they may have liked. He said that the Father has set His seal upon Him; He said the work of God is to believe in Him (6:27, 29).
Sometimes we are given lists that directly express the work of God: feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, tend to the poor. But sometimes the Lord allows us to grow through the wrestling match of decision-making, to embrace with joy and confidence the incredible gift of free will and what it means to live with choices. Jesus invites us to operate our best judgment and prudence and to live with—and learn from—the consequences.
I want the Father to set His seal upon me, too. And this begins, first, not with a list of tasks, but with a disposition of heart.
Are you in the middle of making a decision? Ask the Lord to renew His seal upon your heart and thank Him for the loving gift of free will. Then trust that He is with you, guiding you in wisdom and charity.
Liz Kelly Stanchina is a jazz singer who met Jesus in late-night adoration. She is the community leader for women’s formation at the Word on Fire Institute and the author of more than a dozen award-winning books, including Jesus Approaches, Love Like a Saint, and the Blessed is She Advent devotional A Thrill of Hope. She holds advanced degrees in creative writing and Catholic studies. She is trained as a spiritual director, leading retreats and speaking around the world with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. Visit her website at LizK.org or follow her on Instagram at LizKToday.
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