Back in my ministry days I liked to tell people that god works in spite of us at least as often as he works through us. Not everyone liked hearing that, especially not those who were persuaded that they were doing the work of god on earth.

But before god can work through you, you first have to quit getting in the way. From what I can tell, god could use the help, and folks getting out of the way could lighten the load a lot. (No one likes to have to work in spite of someone.) Once you’ve learned to get out of the way, then you can learn to let god work through you. You might luck out a few times and see god work through you before you’ve learned to get out of the way. But it’s just good luck, and nothing more. God’s nice like that.

When you’ve learned to get out the way, and learned to let god work through you, then you can learn to cooperate with god. From what I can tell, god could use a few supporting cast members, but not someone who likes to step on his lines. The play comes off better when you worry about your lines and let god worry about his.

Once you’ve learned to be a good co-worker, you can learn to be god’s own friend. From what I can tell, god could use a good friend. (They say it’s lonely at the top.) You can confide in one another and call each other to account. You can hang out and say nothing at all, simply enjoying one another’s company. You can fight, and make up. Or not make up and enjoy grudges that last for years.

Long after you’ve been friends with god, one day you will find that you can command very god, that you can teach god to do your bidding. Some say this knowledge is the secret of the most wise, but it is not. Their secret is this: that once you have learned to command god himself, you will have lost all desire to do so whatsoever.