What do we want in this life?

What does God want for us in this life?

I don’t think they are often the same thing.

We were not made for this world of pain, sorrow, failure. We were made for the Kingdom of God where everything is right and good. Whether or not we believe in God or an afterlife, our hearts know it. It’s where we get our longing for good  to prevail over evil. The sense to try to keep living when our lives are threatened. The sense that people who we lose in our lives should not be dying. It’s where we get our desire to ask God to take away what is wrong in this life and make it right. 

When sickness comes, scripture tells us to pray for healing. Jesus came to the earth healing the sick, lame, blind, even raising the dead. He said to ask, seek, and knock for what we long for. 

Yet, is God’s priority to make our lives pain free?

Where does a live of ease get us in the things that matter to God? 

I’ve been reminded lately from Revelation 3, Jesus’ correction to the church in Laodicea.  They had everything they wanted: much wealth, ease, everything they ‘needed’.

Yet, Jesus called them poor, naked, destitute, miserable. They had no need for Him, no intimate relationship with Him. He told them to come to Him to buy refined gold for their spiritual poverty and white garments for their spiritual nakedness. That they were not hot, or cold, but lukewarm. That He was ready to spit them out. They were not useful.

So the church that thought they had everything-had nothing of value from God’s perspective.

I have been reading in scripture Paul’s letters to the church in the city of Thessalonica. This is a church being harshly persecuted for being followers of Jesus. Paul is repeatedly commending them for their faith that is staying firm. He praises the love that is abounding in them for each other. He states that they are very rich spiritually. So spiritually rich in fact that they’re being spoken of all over the known Roman world. He is commending their endurance and flourishing in the face of such suffering.

So the church that appeared to have nothing, were richly flourishing in the things that mattered to God. They were promised much eternal reward.

So what does this mean to us?

Some of us get cancer. We lose a job. Our loved one get sick. Our hearts get broken. Our spouse may be unfaithful.

Our Kingdom-destined hearts cry out.

‘God! Fix it!!” “Take away the suffering! Don’t allow the loss! Heal the cancer! 

Sometimes He gives what we ask for. 

But sometimes He instead gives us things we didn’t ask for.

What if our weakness, summons His power?

What if our shredded heart summons His nearness?

What if our destitute, sickly position makes way for His glory to shine?

What if the miracle is, that in the face of sickness, suffering, brokenheartedness, God refines such a gold so pure its priceless?

What if the miracle is, that the darkest night of the soul produces a light so bright it stuns, radiates, and pours out contagious joy and hope?

Some say, if you have enough faith anything can be rid of in this life.

But I have repeatedly seen desperate brokenhearted prayers for healing go unanswered. ‘God, please let my dear one live!” While pure gold is produced on the journey before they die.

Does God want to spare the loss of a loved one, or does He want to produce pure gold?

How is it that… sometimes a desperate prayer is not granted?

Suffering ensues, deep darkness. 

But the journey produces refined gold, 

white garments of His love and security, 

Clothing that when He looks on us, is right in HIs eyes

faith and love abounding. 

And Hope…

Hope like you’ve never seen!

How does hope unanswered, produce even more hope?!?

How does faith unanswered, produce even more faith?!?

How does immense suffering, produce incomparable joy?!?

What do we ask for? Why?

What does God want?

He wants to be known

He wants us to invite His searching of our hearts.

He wants to show Himself to be loving, powerful, near…

He wants to pour out the riches of His person on us.

We have tasted of God’s forever Kingdom, but we still live here. Death and sickness and sorrow still exist here and always will until Jesus returns to throw Death and the Grave into the pit of Hell. 

This world is not Home.

This world will not fill the Kingdom-longings in our hearts. It will deeply disappoint.

But God found a way to turn all the evil upside down.

A way to take the curse of death and suffering on this earth and turn it right ON ITS ASS!

To make for us greater glory of His nearness and power.

 Greater FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE and

MORE OF HIM!

-Shanna

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