When I was in college, I worked at a Title Insurance Agency. The Agency's purpose was to research the title of a property that a bank was going to loan someone money for. The Agency issued documents insuring that the title on the property was free of liens and that no one was going to make a claim on the property and take it away from the bank and the buyer. My job had two tasks -- filing the documents that people used during their research, and delivering the finished insurance documents to the banks. That was it. I did not research titles, prepare the documents, answer phones, or anything else.
After research on a property was done, clerks used an application on a computer to prepare the insurance documents. That application was adequate but needed improvements. I was good with computers. One day, I spent time improving the application. I had some good ideas that would make the clerks much more efficient. After a few hours with me sitting in front of a computer, my boss came over and said something like, "While I appreciate what you are doing, I need you to work on filing."
Think like me
I was a taken aback by this. Didn't the boss appreciate what I was doing? Didn't he know that I was making things better? I was frustrated that he did not see things my way. The problem was that my goals were not his goals. My purpose was not the Agency's purpose for me. My boss wanted me to file stuff and deliver documents. That was why he hired me. That was what I was paid to do. I had confusion and stress because I wanted things my way, not his way.
Why am I here?
Think about this from a metaphysical standpoint. What is my purpose in this world? What is every Christian's purpose? Is it not to align with God's goals? Is it not to complete the tasks he feels are important?
My Goals
The problem is that I have my own ideas about how my life should go. I have my own goals. They have to do with my marriage, family, career, health, and happiness in general. I am not saying that I want to be rich but I don't want financial difficulties. I don't want a perfect body but I don't want health issues. I want my kids to be happy, healthy, and successful in life. Doesn't God know what I want; what I need in this world? If so, why doesn't he help me achieve my goals. Why do I have trouble with my career, kids, marriage, health, life in general? Is it because God does not care about me or because there is no God or if there is that he can't help me? No. It is because God's purpose is not to make me successful and healthy. It is because I need to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
God's Goals
My purpose does not match up with God's purpose. This is what causes stress and frustration in my life. If this is true, the next questions are, "What are God's goals? What is His purpose? What tasks has he given me that are consistent with His mission?" I don't claim to know God's mind but here are some goals that he has told us about in His word (in no particular order).
- "God ... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim, 2:4.
- "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15.
- "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
- "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35.
- "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27.
These should be my goals--be a witness for the gospel, tell people about Jesus by my life and actions, love God, love others, help those who cannot help themselves. No where in the Bible does it say that God wants all men to be healthy or wealthy or successful. God commands me to love my wife but he does not guarantee me a great marriage. No where does God say that he wants all kids to have a college education and a good job.
I want both
Can't I have both? Can't I have a great job / marriage / kids / life and serve God? Yes, but I have to get the order right. God's goals come first. God's purpose is my purpose. There is nothing wrong with having money or a good marriage or a college education as long as they are not the goal of my existence.
Career, family, health -- all these things are secondary, meaningless. I have to be willing to let them go, to sacrifice them on God's altar like Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac. I have to be worthy of Jesus by loving Him more than my parents or my kids (Matthew 10:37-39). I must deny myself and live for Him.
If God also grants me these other things, that is a bonus, but they are not the goal of my life. I should not complain if I don't have good health. After all, good health is not God's goal for me. My spiritual health is. I should not complain about not having enough of anything that is not part of God's purpose and program.
The Yoke of Jesus
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29. Putting my goals and purpose before God's it what makes me weary and burdened. I need to lay my burdens down at Jesus feet. I need to let Him be in charge of my life. I need to let Him provide for me. I need to be content with my situation in life. Then, I need to take up His yoke -- meaning that I work on God's goals first and make His purpose my own. I need to love everyone around me as Jesus does and try, "by all possible means", to save some people.
I am dead, Horatio
How can I do this? How do I make God's purpose my purpose? How do I take up Jesus's yoke? Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20. This is the key. Let Jesus do it.
I'll try to get into that more in a future post. If you want to read ahead, get a copy of Watchman Nee's book, "The Normal Christian Life".
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