Monday, February 27, 2017

Pursuing good things or the best thing

As his children, God does not condemn us for our choices. He allows us to pursue *good things so we might come to see the importance and value of choosing the best thing i.e. that which draws us closer to God and not away from him. 

And when we do, this is a choice we make freely. It is a choice based on our love for God and value of him versus love or value for something else. It is not a choice we make in order to gain his love but because we already have it in Christ and desire to enter into and participate more fully in it, above all other loves.

Though there are always consequences for not pursuing the best things, those consequences are not necessarily or only the loss of material things or comfortable circumstances but can simply be the loss of communion and fellowship with the Father and his Son in the Spirit.

The stronger our relationship with God, the more we feel that loss (the estrangement) and the more impacting it is.

As we mature and our taste and experience of God, in all his infinite love, grows, the loss of fellowship with him becomes an increasingly greater and more significant loss than the loss of material blessings or comfortable circumstances. We begin to care more about losing communion with God then the loss of other things. The loss of comfortable circumstances becomes increasingly less of a concern. 

There are many things that are good and to be enjoyed. But when we pick good things over the best thing, we are missing out on the greatest joys and benefits of who God is and who he made us to be. 

1Th 5:19  Do not quench the Spirit.

Eph 4:30a  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God...

Psa 51:11-12  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

*and even bad things. Think of Joseph arrogantly flaunting his dream before his brothers. Or his dad sinfully favoring Joseph over his brothers. God incorporates bad choices (ours and others) to bring about his good ends. This is part of the "all things" spoken of in Romans 8:28-29

For more on this last point regarding Rom 8:28-29 click here.

For a discussion on God still being in control when evil happens click here



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Grace to you
Jim Deal