The Christmas story offers profound lessons, as seen in the shepherds' experience in Luke 2:8-15:…
The Real Goal
“All I want is . . .” I hear this story almost every week as I interact with people. In the hearts of people there is an insatiable desire to attain some goal. It comes with different endings but this sentence burns with desire in every individual I meet. “All I want is . . .
- A happy marriage
- Kids who respect me
- A career that I enjoy
- Enough money to pay my bills
- Rest
- Peace in my home
- Things to be the way they used to be.”
To be honest, the question burns in my heart also. I find myself to be glorious discontent most of the time. I want to be able to do a little more on my house, a little more in my career, a little more for my kids, a little more in my community and so on. It is always about a little more. I would be the first to say that I have a good life but it always seems I want something else.
Today I was reminded that what I am really looking for is a relationship with God that is bigger than my desire for results. It isn’t that I don’t want results because I believe God created us to produce. I just will never be content until my desire for God Himself is greater than my desire for what He provides.
David is one of the men in the Bible I respect the most because he is so real. He accomplished great things in life but, because of the broken nature of life, he also experienced great pain. In 2 Samuel 22, he wrote one of the great songs of his life. Prior to the song, 2 Samuel 21 demonstrates the frustrating reality of this world we live in. “Once again there was a battle. . .” (v. 15) “In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines. . .” (v. 18) “In another battle with the Philistines. . .” (v. 19) In still another battle. . . (v. 20) Just like in our lives, the battles just keep coming. After a while, it gets hard to pursue our goals when we know it means another battle.
Then in 2 Samuel 22, David shares the secret that kept him going during both victories and deep sadness, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. . . He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior . . .” (v. 2-3) He eventually came to the conclusion that what he really needed in life was a close connection with his savior which would lead to the right results at the right time, “You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.” (v. 28-29)
Today, I am going to make it my ambition to say, “All I want is a little bit more of Jesus.”
As for my desires, as I get older I’m finding the only thing that really matters is your relationship with God. As king David, nothing under the sun matters, but the relationship that is develop with the creator. Going through life, which brings trials, creates environments that gravitates you toward relationship development. While going through these trials you develop a sense of loneliness and the need for help and you are drawn to something more true. The truth can only be God! We seem to be wired to gravitate towards the idea and the reasoning of his existence, love, and power doing the low points in our lives.