John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Philippians 4:11-13 says, “Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack. I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.” Verse 13 has the phrase, “I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.” We all know that Him who empowers me refers to Christ. We are able to do all things in Him who empowers us.
Every saved one has a heart to please God. This heart is very strong in some people but very weak in others. Nevertheless, whether this heart is strong or weak, all the saved ones do have such a heart, unless one never thinks about God or seeks God. Once a person seeks God, spontaneously he has a heart to please God. This is because in this universe God desires that man have a heart to love Him and seek after Him.
All those who know God know that God has much grace for man and much work to do in man. Yet if man does not want this, God will have no way to do anything. Thus, for men to give their heart to God is to provide Him a way to work in them. If a person is not willing to give his heart to God, God will have no way to grace him or to work in him. This may be illustrated by parents who want to do something for their children, yet their children turn their back on them and turn away from them. As a result, the parents are not able to do anything. A heart that loves God is very precious to God and is what God treasures. God desires that man would love Him and seek after Him. This does not mean that God wants to gain something good from man, but rather that God has many good things for man, much grace to grant man, and much work to do in man. If man does not love God or draw near to Him, God will have no way to do what He desires, so God always desires that man love Him and draw near to Him.
In the same way that parents do, God continually longs that His children be like Him. Whenever there is a heart that turns back to God, He treasures it very much. Many times, however, because we do not desire Him that much, He has to use some winding ways to turn us back to Him. Every time we feel the love of God and the sweetness of God’s love within us, our love toward God spontaneously wells up, and we pray, “O God, I love You; my heart is here for You.” We feel that God is so lovely and so precious. So we pray to God, “O God, You are the most precious One; nothing is more precious than You. Although there are many things that are lovely, when they are compared with You, You are the most glorious One. O God, I do not care whether or not I am able to love You; I simply love You, and I will love You forever.”
The fact that we can pray such a prayer proves that God has worked in us. Sometimes God uses the outward environment to compel us to love Him; this is God’s work. Sometimes He draws us with His love; this is also God’s work. God does these things because He wants us to love Him. God cannot do much in a person who has never allowed God to work in him and does not feel that God is loveable. Whenever God works in a person, He first lets the person see that He is lovely. As a result, this person’s heart rises up. Then this person will love God. This is something very precious.
However, whenever someone is willing to rise up to love God, a great problem appears. Everyone, without exception, has this same problem. As soon as a person rises up to love God, a problem will appear right away—this person will try his best to please God. The desire to love God and please God is very proper and precious and is absolutely acceptable to God. Yet this person will love God with his own strength and in his own way. This is what displeases God. God does not want anything that is from our own strength and rejects everything that is of our own strength.
For example, I may ask a brother to do a certain thing with me, but I do not want him to use his own effort because this will be a great problem. It sounds very strange to say that we ask people to help us but that we do not want them to use their own strength. If someone asks you to help him to do something but does not want you to use your strength, this will be very hard for you to do. It would be very troublesome to you if this person wants your heart, but he does not want your wisdom or your way. Normally, if a person asks me to help him, I would help him in my own way and with my own wisdom and strength. But if he does not want my strength, wisdom, or way, why would he want my help? I had better not go to help him. To use our own strength is a human principle. However, this is not God’s way. He does not want man to bring his own strength, ways, or wisdom. God wants only man’s heart.