“Our deepest, sweetest joy will not come from God making much of us, but from God freeing us to make much of Him forever.” –
John Piper
We are getting to the point of the year where we are all asking, “Why are we ACTUALLY doing this thing?” Recently, I have noticed myself being easily distracted by the small things like homesickness, social media, Netflix… the same things which distract me in the America. Some people (myself included) believe that going on the race makes past sins or areas of distraction magically disappear. Wanting to watch a movie or scroll Instagram instead of digging into the Word… yes it’s still a fight. I am here to tell you the fight continues regardless of what country you are in.
My desire to be approved by man continues to speak louder than my spirit to please the Lord. Listening to His will for my life and not to the world’s constant “you need to do this” or “you need to be that”. Tuning into what God wants for the team instead of what the world tells me is “successful” according to ministry.
The topic of relationships has also been at the for-front of my mind. Dealing with past relationships, thinking about marriage, if I am doing “the right things” to meet that person? All the while pondering how the sovereignty of God fits into these areas? (Problem number one, God shouldn’t have to “fit into” these areas) Does God know who I am marrying? Are there multiple people that I could marry? Is there a better option? Is the only reason I’m seeking God because I want a better chance of getting a man who doesn’t treat me badly or cheat on me? To complicate it even more, the verse in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 which says, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Does that mean if I can control my sexual desires, I should be single? God are you calling me to singleness? Do I genuinely want Him or just the benefits that come with being a Christian?
All these questions are constantly swirling around in my head. Confusing right? I realized that it’s actually not: God is the point. I could ask all the questions of God. He isn’t surprised or unable to respond. But ultimately, He has already told me in His word what to do in this life. I am to love people the way He loves us, spread His word, and bring Him glory in the way I live my life.
Consequently, because I am a sinner I will fail in my pursuit of God. James 4 says submitting to Him and spreading His Word on a daily basis combined with fighting the battle against evil is what He has called us to do. Praises that God has given us the truth to rest in His victory and peace!
I can think about my life, my husband, my calling. But honestly, the only question I need to be asking is “God, how can I bring You the most glory today?” At our last debrief in Kyrgyzstan, one of our leaders Danny said that if we remember nothing else, remember his voice in our head everyday saying, “God is the point!”
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give your the desires of your heart.” Many people overlook the first part and think about the satisfaction of our desires as humans. We often miss the part about genuinely delighting yourself in the Father. By this verse, I think God is explaining very clearly that the only real way to satisfy our deepest desires or answer our questions is to delight in Him.
If you are reading this, regardless of what your questions might be, I hope that you find this blog a harbor of peace. God knows all your thoughts and concerns, and He does have a plan for them. All you need to do is lay them before Him and pursue Him every day; don’t forget, He is the point.
