Probably the most common human view is that it's God's role to make people's lives pleasant. Even many Christians see God that way. When things aren't pleasant, we wonder just how God has messed up this time. Doesn't He love us anymore? Did He ever really love us? Why are we serving God if He doesn't respond in kind? Why are we going to church more or less regularly and sometimes even tithing and usually forgiving others if we feel like it and maybe even sacrificing something because it's the Christian thing to do? Why go through all of that if God doesn't make my life pleasant?
Consider Job. He did much more to follow God than most Christians do today, yet horrible tragedy overwhelmed his life. Job never said these exact words, but I think they are deeply implied in his attitude: "Okay, God, I've done my part, I haven't been perfect, but I've really tried to serve You and really now, I HAVE done my part! So where were You? Why are you allowing all this to happen?"
To be clear, these are my words that I've put in Job's mouth; putting them there falls into the category of Artistic License. As I read the Book of Job, I see that attitude coming out of his heart. "God, I've done what You asked. I've done my part. Where were You?"
It's the same common view on display throughout the history of mankind: God's role is to make sure that our lives are pleasant. Throughout history, people have made religious sacrifices -- bartering with God, or their gods, for rain, for sunshine, for a good harvest, a safe hunt, good health, victory in battle, protection from enemies...and a long list of other things because, you see, God's role is make sure our lives are pleasant. Maybe you've never used those exact words, but like Job, I bet you'll recognize that attitude somewhere in your life.
It can even be made to sound somewhat religious or spiritual, but it is a human-centric view of things. Its underlying premise is that God revolves around us...that He lives to make us happy. The Judeo-Christian world view should be nothing like that, though, unfortunately, for many people it often is.
The truth is that we exist for Him, not the other way around. The truth is that He created us to bring Himself happiness and joy and more Forever Outlets for His love. The "Forever Outlets" are the people who will spend eternity in heaven, receiving and reflecting His love.
God made all things through Jesus, for Jesus, and by Jesus. Everything that exists -- everything -- exists for His purposes and His heart's satisfaction. It is not EVER the other way around.
This is a good time for me to restate a basic premise: Because He is the sole creator and sole owner of everything, He gets to do anything He wants, anytime He wants, and He never ever owes any of us an explanation. Explanations are nice and there are times that He gives them, but they're never owed to us. However my life turns out here, whatever I understand or don't understand, in whatever way things go, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, whether in sickness or in health, the only thing that REALLY matters is that His dreams and purposes are fulfilled...however that works out for me here.
Because I am a follower of Jesus, bought by His sacrifice on the Cross and sealed for redemption by His Spirit, there's a corollary to that basic premise. He will make it all far better than okay, all well worth it, no matter how bad or rough or unpleasant it gets here. He has eternity to do that, but it won't take eternity. One moment in His heavenly presence will overwhelmingly make whatever happened or didn't happen here far better than okay, all well worth it.
Don't think for a moment that I'm suggesting that God is uncaring or unfeeling. No, He is absolutely concerned and touched by all that happens here, from the smallest detail to the largest of tragedies. He sees it all and is touched by it all. Some of what happens He likes, a lot of it He doesn't. He sees the small picture but is not just a Small Picture kind of God. He sees the big picture but is not just a Big Picture kind of God. He is a Total Picture kind of God, all the time, every moment. Unlike a TV, He doesn't have a pixel limit where things can be too small to see or too large to fit on the screen. His vision and awareness is true Hi-Def everything, everywhere, all the time.
He states clearly that, according to His purpose, He has called those who love Him to be conformed to the image of Jesus. For that cause, He works all things together for their -- our -- good. The only reasonable conclusion is to trust that He will fit all of the Small Picture details of our lives into His Big Picture. Everything in our lives will somehow be used by Him to play a part in conforming the Redeemed to the image of His Son. By itself, that gives our lives real value, even if we can't see any other value.
So, what is on His heart for our brief lives here? First, that we love Him with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength. That's a process, but we really should be further along than we are, don't you think? Secondly, as we grow in loving Him that way, we will be able to grow in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. That's also a process that should be further along by now. Third, He has assigned us a task: taking the Gospel to the lost, helping to add to an ever-growing number of Jesus' disciples here and around the world. Cha-Ching! Hat Trick! This also should be further along than it is.
If He is re-making us so that He will have more Forever Outlets for His love -- and He is -- then it follows that He wants us to help bring Him even more souls to be outlets for His love. For His love to be fully expressed through eternity, all of those recipient souls have to be conformed to the image of Jesus. That means full transformation for you and me and all the others, and whatever the cost, it's worth it, so very worth it that whatever it costs isn't even a shadow worth moaning about or comparing to what is gained.
The simple summary is that God's role isn't to make sure we have pleasant Small Picture lives. It's immeasureably more far-reaching than that, and much more straight-forward. We exist to be Forever Outlets for His joyous love, the more of us the merrier, and for that to work, we have to be totally Big Pictue transformed.
He doesn't exist for us; we exist for Him. Whatever the cost, He will make it extravagantly worth your while, extravagantly beyond what you can imagine to imagine. But it has to be done His way.
In faith and trust, surrender to that plan, whatever it takes! Maybe this prayer says what you need to say:
Many of the thoughts in this Post are reflected in the following verses:
Consider Job. He did much more to follow God than most Christians do today, yet horrible tragedy overwhelmed his life. Job never said these exact words, but I think they are deeply implied in his attitude: "Okay, God, I've done my part, I haven't been perfect, but I've really tried to serve You and really now, I HAVE done my part! So where were You? Why are you allowing all this to happen?"
To be clear, these are my words that I've put in Job's mouth; putting them there falls into the category of Artistic License. As I read the Book of Job, I see that attitude coming out of his heart. "God, I've done what You asked. I've done my part. Where were You?"
It's the same common view on display throughout the history of mankind: God's role is to make sure that our lives are pleasant. Throughout history, people have made religious sacrifices -- bartering with God, or their gods, for rain, for sunshine, for a good harvest, a safe hunt, good health, victory in battle, protection from enemies...and a long list of other things because, you see, God's role is make sure our lives are pleasant. Maybe you've never used those exact words, but like Job, I bet you'll recognize that attitude somewhere in your life.
It can even be made to sound somewhat religious or spiritual, but it is a human-centric view of things. Its underlying premise is that God revolves around us...that He lives to make us happy. The Judeo-Christian world view should be nothing like that, though, unfortunately, for many people it often is.
The truth is that we exist for Him, not the other way around. The truth is that He created us to bring Himself happiness and joy and more Forever Outlets for His love. The "Forever Outlets" are the people who will spend eternity in heaven, receiving and reflecting His love.
God made all things through Jesus, for Jesus, and by Jesus. Everything that exists -- everything -- exists for His purposes and His heart's satisfaction. It is not EVER the other way around.
This is a good time for me to restate a basic premise: Because He is the sole creator and sole owner of everything, He gets to do anything He wants, anytime He wants, and He never ever owes any of us an explanation. Explanations are nice and there are times that He gives them, but they're never owed to us. However my life turns out here, whatever I understand or don't understand, in whatever way things go, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, whether in sickness or in health, the only thing that REALLY matters is that His dreams and purposes are fulfilled...however that works out for me here.
Because I am a follower of Jesus, bought by His sacrifice on the Cross and sealed for redemption by His Spirit, there's a corollary to that basic premise. He will make it all far better than okay, all well worth it, no matter how bad or rough or unpleasant it gets here. He has eternity to do that, but it won't take eternity. One moment in His heavenly presence will overwhelmingly make whatever happened or didn't happen here far better than okay, all well worth it.
Don't think for a moment that I'm suggesting that God is uncaring or unfeeling. No, He is absolutely concerned and touched by all that happens here, from the smallest detail to the largest of tragedies. He sees it all and is touched by it all. Some of what happens He likes, a lot of it He doesn't. He sees the small picture but is not just a Small Picture kind of God. He sees the big picture but is not just a Big Picture kind of God. He is a Total Picture kind of God, all the time, every moment. Unlike a TV, He doesn't have a pixel limit where things can be too small to see or too large to fit on the screen. His vision and awareness is true Hi-Def everything, everywhere, all the time.
He states clearly that, according to His purpose, He has called those who love Him to be conformed to the image of Jesus. For that cause, He works all things together for their -- our -- good. The only reasonable conclusion is to trust that He will fit all of the Small Picture details of our lives into His Big Picture. Everything in our lives will somehow be used by Him to play a part in conforming the Redeemed to the image of His Son. By itself, that gives our lives real value, even if we can't see any other value.
So, what is on His heart for our brief lives here? First, that we love Him with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength. That's a process, but we really should be further along than we are, don't you think? Secondly, as we grow in loving Him that way, we will be able to grow in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. That's also a process that should be further along by now. Third, He has assigned us a task: taking the Gospel to the lost, helping to add to an ever-growing number of Jesus' disciples here and around the world. Cha-Ching! Hat Trick! This also should be further along than it is.
If He is re-making us so that He will have more Forever Outlets for His love -- and He is -- then it follows that He wants us to help bring Him even more souls to be outlets for His love. For His love to be fully expressed through eternity, all of those recipient souls have to be conformed to the image of Jesus. That means full transformation for you and me and all the others, and whatever the cost, it's worth it, so very worth it that whatever it costs isn't even a shadow worth moaning about or comparing to what is gained.
The simple summary is that God's role isn't to make sure we have pleasant Small Picture lives. It's immeasureably more far-reaching than that, and much more straight-forward. We exist to be Forever Outlets for His joyous love, the more of us the merrier, and for that to work, we have to be totally Big Pictue transformed.
He doesn't exist for us; we exist for Him. Whatever the cost, He will make it extravagantly worth your while, extravagantly beyond what you can imagine to imagine. But it has to be done His way.
In faith and trust, surrender to that plan, whatever it takes! Maybe this prayer says what you need to say:
Help me, Lord, because we both know that I'm not very good at surrendering completely or at staying surrendered. I'm good at acting like it, but You see everything that's really in me. Please forgive and overcome my frail conviction and wimpy determination and brittle surrender. Don't give up on me! In spite of me, have Your Big Picture way in me, to Your heart's eternal delight through Jesus, by Jesus, and for Jesus! Amen.
Many of the thoughts in this Post are reflected in the following verses:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Hebrews 2:8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.
Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Luke 9:24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
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