Our culture has for decades held an “It’s all about me” attitude. Get what you can and don’t worry about anyone else. Make sure you get what you want first. My generation, the Boomer generation, was also known as the “Me” generation. Perhaps we started this craze that has devolved into crazy. Not any political party or platform, I am writing of individuals and our drive for “me first”.
In the Bible we see a completely different ideology and practice. In scripture we learn (or we should learn) our goal should be not to please us first, but to please God. When we do what is right in God’s eyes and pleasing to Him, then we will find the satisfaction we long for.
Even in Christian living today we expect our desires to be met even to the extent that we believe, “We love God so, what we want is what God wants.” This could not be further from the truth. God’s thoughts, God’s ways are much higher than you and I can think or imagine.
In EKG, my friend, Ken Hemphill writes, “God acts in human history for our good and for His glory.” We would do well to remember that God’s glory comes before our good. We seem to have gotten that turned around in much of Christianity today.
Hemphill reminds us that even in scripture “…when God began to move on behalf of His people in captivity in Babylon He made it clear through the prophet Ezekiel that, “It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for my Holy name, which you profaned…” (italics mine)
God’s actions are always for His glory, not our comfort, pleasure, or our desire. It is always for His glory. God has a love for us, His children, that is greater than the greatest imaginable with our finite minds. Through our faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, His death, and resurrection, we are ushered into God’s haven of rest, His amazing grace.
“We have also obtained access through Him (Christ) by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2 Even the sacrifice of His own Son was completed for His glory. It was for our good, our only entry into heaven. Yet, before our good, it was for God’s glory.
God’s desire is for all people of all nations, all tribes and tongues to know Him personally and intimately. Therefore we will find our greatest desire for satisfaction when seeking our God-designed purpose in life. True satisfaction comes only when we realize it is not about me, but it is ALL ABOUT GOD and His glory.
When we do what is right in God’s eyes and pleasing to Him, then we will find the satisfaction we long for.
