What is most important in this life is not freedom from pain, but proximity to Christ. We need to stop praying for blessings in the conventional definition which are really just luxuries. What is a luxury but an idol if it anchors us to the world and distracts us from our work in Christ? Even family and stability, a life where everything is taken care of, may be more of a weapon of the enemy than a “blessing” from God. We cannot accept sugar from Satan masquerading as God’s blessings when they lead to a sedated spiritual walk.
No longer will I normalize good things as God’s things. God Himself is all the good we will ever need, and until we are nurtured off that vine alone we will always crave God and something else. We use God as a catalyst to other good which is actually what sustains us. God is good because He has given me a family that I love. God is good because I am healthy. God is good because I am blessed. What happens when that is taken away? Are you less blessed? Is God less good?
Of course not, God is goodness.
Is the man laying sick in the hospital full of God’s presence any less blessed than the man living blissfully on his ranch in the mountains with a family and 401k? I might argue the opposite; God’s blessings follow His presence, and there I want to be also.
So I am convicted to no longer pray away inconvenience or suffering, but that the presence of Jesus overwhelms us. I pray that through trial and provision, everything is an opportunity to set our hearts simply and solely on nearness to Christ. That sounds good, but what does it really mean?
To start, it means a fundamental reorientation of what matters. It is not “why God?” when we do not get what we want and “thank you, Lord” when we do. It is always “thank you, God” and then “how is this an opportunity to draw nearer to you?”
How can my rejection draw me closer to you, Jesus?
How can I age nearer to you, Jesus?
What can I do with my raise to serve you more?
How could my chronic anger, lust, or addiction be an opportunity to draw nearer to you, God?
This is not an overspiritualization of complicated issues, this is Biblical living. Frame your life on the simple mission to draw nearer to Christ and powerful work will happen first in your soul, then in your life, and then in the world around you. The consequences of a life alive in Christ impact every arena – your relationships, your self-esteem, and your work. On the latter, your work shifts from something toxic to something beautiful.
In Eden, God commissions Adam to work and steward His garden. The example He sets by creating for 6 days is that God is a God of work. Work is an important function of our design, but it is not our identity. Success, legacy…these are not healthy goals. Instead, let the very act of your work be worship in the presence of God. As God commanded man to work, he empowered us to commune with Him through the labor of our stewardship. In this way, it is not the product of what we do that matters, for He is in control; it is communion with our Father that brings life to our work. Do not waste energy on the greater significance or influence of your job. Do not compare doctors and lawyers, mechanics and teachers, mothers and salespeople. Instead, follow three rules of godly labor:
- Be competent.
- Bring dignity to others
- Work out of rest
On the first rule, no one listens to a careless nurse. A pilot announcing it is his first flight has no chance of converting his passengers, everyone just wants to survive! Instead, find something to do and do it well. In the movie Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell is asked why he loves to compete in the Olympic 100m dash. After a moments’ pause, Eric responds that “when he runs he can feel the pleasure of God.” This is glorified work, to find your race and run it well until you feel the pleasure of God.
Secondly, bring dignity to others. The CEO of a fortune 500 company and a barista serve no difference in the kingdom of God when they are both competent and bringing dignity to those they serve. Good work can be done in any profession but requires a servant’s heart. In an age where work is seen as a means to our own end, there is an epidemic of soulless labor. Many workers fall victim to one of two identities- becoming a workaholic or developing work apathy. A workaholic idolizes their profession as the culmination of their existence, they do not know themselves outside of what they do. Work apathy, on the other hand, sees no equity in its work. These are the individuals who withdraw from their jobs and see their 9-5 as a necessary evil to accomplish the real thing they want to do. Both of these mentalities are death, and not way of Eden. Instead, we are called to serve and steward and cultivate value in the work we do.
Lastly, we must work out of a rested spirit. God created man on the 6th day and then He rested. This means man’s first day on the Earth was a day of rest, after which we spent 6 days working. God designed man to be content through communion with Him first, out of which we may produce and steward well. The Sabbath is not a day off, it is a day of intention with Christ. God has given us the privilege to participate and contribute in His kingdom despite our many flaws so that we may know Him and worship Him all the more. Do not confuse your success with your skill, God does not need you to accomplish His will. Instead, He uses you out of His grace to do mighty things and that very truth is our fulfillment.
All this to say, adversity is not the antidote to goodness, it very well may be its predecessor. Pray less for your life and more for proximity to Christ, circumstance and environment out the window. Begin to consider how suffering and celebration may be two streams to the same River. Do not idolize or demonize your work, but fellowship with your Creator and be good at what you do. This is the way of God and it will lead you to His promises.