While I was driving home the preacher on the radio was teaching about divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
The relationship between the two seems hard to reconcile in our finite minds, but the Bible teaches that both are true:
God is sovereign over all and man is responsible for his actions.
So, applying this, we see...
God sovereignly grants the gift of faith to whomever He wills... BUT man is responsible to repent and believe.
Or... looking at it another way...
God
sovereignly uses evil in this world to further His own purpose... BUT man is fully responsible for the evil he commits.
As I was listening to the preacher explain all this, I couldn't help but think of another example:
God is sovereign over the redemption of the world and fulfilling the dominion mandate... BUT we are responsible to share the gospel, rule and cultivate what's in our care,
and fulfill our unique callings.
As I thought of this, I couldn't help but take heart.
For many, the issue of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility is unsettling.
But it should be a source of hope to us.
Because it assures us that God is sovereignly using our efforts to
build His kingdom.
And He is weaving the story of our lives as a part of His grand story of redemption.
So, you can be confident... your toil for Him is not in vain.