What is God's purpose for us?
As a child of God, a follower of Jesus, and a modern Christian, what am I here for now?
I've always struggled with this question, but even more since my cancer diagnosis.
It's a weird sort of limbo to live in, where I've actually had to face my mortality and be changed by that experience, and yet the rest of the world keeps on going just the same... it's a constant battle inside me: I want to live today like it's my last, appreciate everything I'm so blessed to have, but, my job requires me to plan weeks in advance, and the world needs me to be responsible and reliable.
I can't seem to make sense of how these two can coexist.
Which brings me to purpose.
What is God's purpose for us?
I believe, the reason we continue to live on this earth, as believers with eternal perspective of our heavenly home, is to become holy. To grow to be more like Jesus Christ. Contrary to our current societal structure, it's not to be happy.
I think this part gets lost on us... even the most mature Christians.
Our joy is in Christ. It's in our eternal perspective. It's in the love God has shown us, when we were yet sinners, and didn't deserve anything but death.
"Happiness" is fleeting. It's shallow.
Our joy in Christ runs deep. It fills us, so that we can no longer focus on earthly desires. We are told to count it all joy when we suffer. When we have pain. When we're at our lowest.
J. O. Y.
That's not a word God uses lightly. The happiest we could ever be, is when we are suffering, because it's the only way we are truly relying on Him. It's then, when there's nothing any man can do to help, that we can be resting on only God. That's how we grow closer to Him. It's how, in our brokenness, we can be more like Christ.
But, when Christians (and I am most certainly included here) forget that life isn't supposed to be happy, we not only get lost ourselves, we do a disservice to anyone looking on...wondering about this God we love, this Jesus we praise. Because, how can you tell a cancer patient, suffering agonizing daily pain, that God loves them, if the purpose of our lives is to be happy?
Wouldn't that suggest God is sadistic?
It really doesn't surprise me that people from the outside looking in are horrified by "my God".
"Why doesn't He save you?"
"Why doesn't he heal you?"
"Why doesn't he give you what you want, if He loves you?"
Because my fleeting happiness, my material wealth, my earthly comforts are
Not. The. Point.
When we turn our perspective from our own selfish desires, and look at eternal life with God, it becomes clearer. It makes sense. My pain on this earth is minute and finite. So is my happiness. They are equally insignificant.
The only things that truly matter, are my relationship with God now, and my eternal salvation.
Now, will you look at my life and see the perfect reflection of what I just wrote? Certainly not. I'm just as lost, and burdened by comfort, as anyone else. But I'm starting to see how my perspective really can have power over my daily actions, and in turn, my daily feelings.
I long to feel happy too... but that longing is actually a direct result of knowing this is not my home.
My home is heaven.
And I am not home yet.
So, how comfortable should I really be?
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