It’s Friday…Stop Striving For It

What are your deepest longings? You’ve been waiting for God to restore your kingdom. That’s probably not how you understand your deepest longings, but that’s what they amount to, in a sense. Most people’s longings include desires for fruitful and satisfying work, deep and lasting relationships, peace, and purpose in in their heart, and fulfillment of their vision and dreams. Much of what people do in life is based on realizing these goals. They know deep down they were built for fulfillment, and they are waiting for God to fulfill. In other words, most people are waiting for Him to restore the kingdom they envision. And at some point, we may find ourselves asking the question the disciples of Jesus asked Him:

“Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel.” (Acts 1:6)

Jesus’ answer to us will probably be as indirect as the one He gave the disciples. “It is not for you to know” (v.7), He will say about whatever specifics fill our heart. What we are to know is that He is always at work and we are His co-workers. We are to be about His agenda. The Kingdom is in His hands, and our fulfillment will come in its proper time. Meanwhile, by taking our eyes off of our own agenda and fixing them on His, we find that He fulfills us anyway.

That’s almost always the way of Jesus. That’s why He told His disciples to “lose” themselves in order to “find” true life. That’s how they can carry their cross of death and still truly live. The paradox is consistent throughout Scripture: those who abandoned themselves to God find themselves completely embraced.

So, what kingdom have we’ve been expecting? Whatever it is, let’s Stop Striving For It. Let’s live instead for the agenda of Jesus’ Kingdom. Let’s be His witnesses, live in His Spirit, seek His will on earth as it is in heaven. One day down the road, we may notice a startling phenomenon. In abandoning our own idea of the kingdom for His, we’ll find that His includes everything we deeply desired anyway. That may be a long way down the road, or it may be soon. Either way, we’ll be satisfied. The real Kingdom will be much more fulfilling than our own. We all know, deep down inside, this is true, right?

Have a satisfying weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who will not compromise God’s best by pursuing their own vision of fulfillment, for they have learned it only leaves them to the endless striving for more.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)