Paul writes in Galatians 2:20…“the life I live in the body I live by faith…”
I received a letter years ago that got me thinking about the life we live. Can we determine whether or not God is pleased with us by evaluating the circumstances in our lives?
Example: if our children are doing well and our business is good, then God must be pleased with us. If our world is in relative peace and everything is going our way, then God is blessing us. But if the opposite is our experience, then we conclude that God is not pleased, and He desires for us to do more, to do more trusting, to have more faith, to pray more, to have more Bible study, more spiritual discipline, more consistency in our walk and so forth.
Frankly stated, if life is as we want it to be, then God is pleased with us. If it is not, then God wants us to do differently. Is that true?
Here’s a problem with that thinking. We read in the scriptures that people of profound faith trusted God, and He delivered them from the lion’s den, unscathed. But we also know from history that other people of profound faith trusted God and the lions tore them to pieces. Both trusted God, both demonstrated faith. God delivered one and let the other die a torturous death. Was He pleased with the one and displeased with the other?
For those of us who live in the United States, we are privileged to dwell in the wealthiest, most advanced nation in the world. Does this mean that we are more pleasing to God than those who do not live in our nation?
What about those who pray for God to enlarge their business, their influence, their contact list, their car, or their house; and God blesses them with these tangible things?
But then…what about those who pray and trust and do not receive tangible evidences of God’s blessing? Is God less pleased with them? Absolutely not! Our heavenly Father’s love, blessing, and pleasure cannot be measured, determined, or observed by our circumstances. Our significance, importance, acceptance, worth, and standing with Christ Jesus cannot and must not be appraised circumstantially.
If we miss this point, not only will we subject ourselves to disappointment and disillusionment if circumstances don’t fall our way, but we will compromise our role in God’s story. Life is not about you and me. It is about Jesus. The life we live is not about our story, but the part we play in His story. And remember history is all about His story.
What is God’s purpose and will for our Christian life? It is to allow Christ to live out His story in our bodies. God’s word says, “Don’t you know that you yourself are God’s temple, and that God’s spirit lives in you?” I Corinthians 3:16
Christians have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us, and the life we live in the body we live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. In II Corinthians 4:11 Paul writes: “we who are alive are always giving ourselves over to death for Jesus’ sake so that His life may be revealed in our mortal bodies.” The Apostle Peter calls it participating in the divine nature.
That’s THE LIFE WE LIVE!
Amen!
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel.” Philippians 1:4
We appreciate your continued prayer and financial support. We need both to meet the ministry obligations. Thank you for your faithfulness.