What is God’s purpose for your life? Have you ever wondered about that? I’m not referring to questions like, what career should you follow, or whom should you marry, or how many children should you have. I’m talking about the big picture – what is God’s overriding goal, His primary purpose, for the lives of his people? What is He at work doing, right now, in your life and mine? What is He trying to accomplish? Now to many people, that might seem like a nonsensical question, or at least one with a very obvious answer. "God wants to make us happy", they would say. "God wants to make our lives pleasant and fulfilling. He wants to provide for our needs, and take away our pain and sorrow. He wants to make our path smooth, and give us the good things we desire."
Why do people think that? Well, our culture certainly promotes that idea. Advertising is constantly telling people, "you deserve this." McDonald’s used to have a slogan, "you deserve a break today." I always wondered how they knew that. They’ve never even met me. How do they know what I deserve today? Maybe I deserve a swift kick in the pants! They don’t know. But whether it’s food, or cars, or jewelry, or anything else, the consistent message is "You have a right to own this. You’re entitled to possess this." For example, if you look over the newspaper ads for father’s day, you’ll see this – not just, "Show dad how much you appreciate him by buying him this ratchet set," but "Dad deserves this ratchet set." Why is that message so effective? Because it breaks down people’s sales resistance. It’s no longer an issue of whether I can afford the product, or whether this is the best use of my money, or even if I really want it. Instead, it’s simply an entitlement. I deserve a Ford Expedition SUV; therefore, anything I have to do to get one is legitimate – including taking on too much debt, or spending money on a new car that should have gone into my tithe.
Politicians consistently appeal to this impulse. "My fellow Americans, you deserve this service, or that benefit. Those nasty people in the other party want to deny you the things you’re entitled to, but if you elect me, I’ll make sure you get them. And the government will pay for it!" Why is that kind of pitch effective? Because if it’s something we deserve, then it’s no longer an issue of priorities, or budget considerations. Affordability is not an issue. The government has to give it to us, no matter the costs or consequences, because it’s our right to have it. And if the people in the other party oppose it, then they’re not good people who are just operating from a different political philosophy; they’re villains, because they want to deny us the things we have a right to. I’ve noticed recently that when school levies are up for passage, inevitably someone will make the argument that the children deserve whatever the levy is supposed to bring – smaller class sizes, new buildings, more up-to-date equipment – not just that these things are desirable or important, but that the children have a right to them. You see, if it’s a matter of costs and benefits, then people might reasonably disagree on whether the benefits are worth the cost in taxes. But if it’s a right, then voting no is dishonorable. It’s denying these children something they deserve.
Even some churches and ministers, unfortunately, perpetuate this idea. They teach that "you deserve to be healthy, and wealthy, and free of pain, and if you come to our church, we’ll tell you how."
But fundamentally, this attitude comes, not from advertisers or politicians, it comes from within us. We have expectations of the kind of life we’re going to have – the kind of life we’re entitled to – and so when things don’t go the way we expect (which of course they never do), we feel betrayed. We feel that God has somehow let us down; that He’s failed to keep his promises. You see, many people have made an implicit bargain with God – "God, I’ll believe in you, and come to church on Sundays, and put money in the offering, and try to lead a good life. And in exchange, you’ll make sure that things go smoothly for me. You’ll see to it that nothing really bad happens, and that I’m able to enjoy at least a comfortable middle-class existence. Because that’s what I deserve as a faithful, obedient Christian." And when that doesn’t happen, when the wheels start to come off, they get angry at God. First they get disappointed, and then angry, and then depressed and bitter. Why? Because they think they deserve something different. They deserve to experience their vision of what life should be. They deserve to be happy! What’s the point of following Christ if your life is just as difficult and painful as the life of an unbeliever?
Well, let me tell you a secret. God’s primary purpose for you in this life is not to make you happy, but to make you holy. And since he is sovereign over everything, that means that everything in your life – your job, your marriage, your family, your church – everything in your life is designed to accomplish that goal. Now, I’m not saying that God is opposed to happiness. And there are things called "peace" and "joy" which are deeper than happiness, and which God does desire for each of us, all the time. But when we’re talking about the kind of happiness that depends primarily on pleasant circumstances – such as a loving, supportive spouse, or a challenging and rewarding career, or good health, or faithful friends – that kind of happiness is not God’s first priority for us. Why not? Because it’s not always compatible with our holiness, which is his first priority. God is absolutely committed to our good, and the highest good is not for us to enjoy a pleasant, trouble-free life. Our highest good is to know Christ and become like him. As Jesus says in his prayer in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Our highest good is to become the kind of people who consistently honor and glorify God by our faith and obedience. And that usually requires struggle and suffering. Look at it this way. If God were to suddenly give us all the things we desire and feel entitled to, it wouldn’t be a blessing; it would be a curse. Because he would be denying us what we need to reach our spiritual potential, what we need to reach maturity as disciples of Jesus Christ. The most loving thing God can do is not to give us what we want, even if we yearn for it desperately, even if we think we deserve it. The most loving thing God can do is to give us what is best. And he knows what is best better than we do.
I read in the paper yesterday that one of the American missionaries being held hostage in the Philippines has been killed. I don’t know if you’ve been following this story, but more than a year ago, Martin Burnham and his wife Gracia were kidnapped by Muslim militants. Since then, our government has been trying to win their release through diplomatic means. But yesterday, the Philippine military attacked the terrorist camp in a rescue attempt, and in the battle the husband was killed, his wife wounded. They have three children, who are staying with their grandparents in America. A tragic story, and it raises a question: did God fail the Burnhams? Did he abandon them? After all, if anyone could expect to receive God’s special protection and favor, it would be missionaries. Leaving their friends and families and a comfortable life in America, to go to the Philippines, to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in the remote tribes there. After having done so much for God, and given up so much for God, didn’t they deserve to be protected? But instead, they were kidnapped. This wasn’t what they planned; it wasn’t what they expected. You might even say that this wasn’t what they deserved. They weren’t soldiers or political figures; just innocent civilians caught up in a regional conflict. And certainly they couldn’t have experienced much "happiness" during their captivity, in the sense we usually understand it. A full year of being moved from place to place in the jungles and mountains, living in primitive, barbaric conditions, sick and weak, with no medical care and little food, no access to the outside world, no privacy, being guarded by hostile terrorists ready to kill them at any moment.
But tragic and painful as it was, what the Burnhams experienced was God’s best for them. It wasn’t a departure from His plan; it wasn’t an accident or a mistake. And it wasn’t just an unfortunate turn of events that God couldn’t prevent. During this whole ordeal, the Burnhams were right in the center of God’s will. Could God have kept them safe from the terrorists? Yes. But he didn’t. Why? Because God had a purpose for their lives that was greater than what they had in mind, a purpose even more imprtant than the missionary work they had envisioned for themselves, a purpose that involved suffering and death. How do I know that? Because the Bible says so. It says that our sufferings are not random or meaningless, but that God has a purpose in every one of them. And one of those purposes is to bless us by using suffering and hardship in our lives to form Christ in us.
Take, for example, the apostle Paul. Paul was a godly man, faithful and obedient to Christ. As far as the Scriptures reveal, not only was he a morally upright man, but he also listened to God and followed God’s leading in his life. And yet, Paul’s life was full of turmoil, and conflict, and backbreaking labor, and persecution, and suffering, and even betrayal. Listen to his summary of what an apostle’s life was like in the first century:
"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-27
Now, I ask you – what did Paul do wrong? Had he sinned against the Lord? Had he made some kind of mistake, taken a wrong turn somewhere? Had he perhaps missed his calling? Maybe he shouldn’t have been an apostle in the first place! No. These things happened to Paul, not because he was out of God’s will, but because he was in it. These difficult and painful experiences were God’s will for Paul’s life. They were a part of God’s good and wise plan. God was using them to accomplish his purposes in the world, and he was also using them to accomplish his purposes in Paul, to mold his character, and form him into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
A few verses later, Paul goes on to relate another painful experience, his "thorn in the flesh":
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Now, if even Paul the apostle needed this kind of suffering to develop him to Christian maturity, do we need it any less? It’s a fact of human nature that comfort, and pleasure, and pleasant circumstances often make us spiritually lazy. When things are going well, we sometimes neglect the spiritual habits of prayer and Bible reading, our minds become preoccupied with the things of this world, we become inattentive to the things of God. More often than not, it’s the hard times that drive us to God and teach us the deep lessons of faith; the lessons of obedience, and trust. That’s when we realize our complete dependence upon God; that’s when we comprehend our absolute inability to survive without Him; that’s when we realize how necessary it is for us to rely on his power and his strength rather than our own. When God brings us to the end of ourselves, when we’ve seen our own insufficiency, that’s when we see most clearly his sufficiency for us. Friends, God takes no pleasure in our suffering. If He could teach us these things by any other means, he would. If he could transform us into mature, godly disciples of Jesus Christ using nothing but Club Med vacations, he would. But he can’t. And so the most loving and gracious thing he can do is to bring into our lives the kinds of spiritual challenges and personal hardships that will transform our character and keep us close to him.
But not only is God teaching us during these times to depend on his strength and power; He’s also teaching us to value Him above all else. He’s teaching us that we can lack the things we think we need; that we can lose the things we hold most dear, that we can see hopes and dreams fail, and yet still be entirely content. Why? Because He is all we need to have joy, and peace and contentment. Because those things don’t come from our circumstances. They come from knowing Christ; they come from trusting in His love and wisdom as He sovereignly works in our lives. As he promised:
" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." – John 14:27
Peace doesn’t come from circumstances; peace comes from God. As the author of Hebrews writes,
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" – Hebrews 13:5-6
Why can we be content with our circumstances, whatever they may be? Because of the presence of God in our lives. Because of our confidence that He loves us and cares for us; and because we know that nothing we experience can ever diminish His love for us. Again, Paul writes,
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." – Romans 15:13
Where does joy come from? Not from circumstances, but from the Holy Spirit of God.
Let’s look at it from another perspective. As people were coming to Christ in Paul’s day, they were coming from all kinds of backgrounds. And one of the questions they had was whether Christianity required a change of occupation, or a change in their life situation. Here’s Paul’s answer. First, with regard to those who came to faith, but whose spouse didn’t. Should they divorce their partner, in order to follow Christ more freely, without the hindrance of an unbelieving spouse? Paul writes:
". . . If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. . . .But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. . . . [E]ach one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him." – 1 Corinthians 7:12-17
The answer is no. Stay married, even if your spouse is an unbeliever. [By the way, that doesn’t mean you can intentionally marry someone whom you know to be an unbeliever, but that’s another issue]. Even with all the difficulties which marriage to an unbeliever may entail, it’s still not necessary to separate from them in order to follow Christ. Well, then, what about an even more difficult and oppressive situation? What about slavery? Should a slave who becomes a Christian leave his or her master in order to follow Christ more freely? Of course, we don’t have the institution of slavery any more here in America, but the principle is still relevant. Paul writes:
"Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so." – 1 Corinthians 7:20-21
If you can gain your freedom, Paul tells them, go ahead. But if you can’t, it’s no big deal. Why? Because circumstances aren’t the issue. They don’t determine whether you experience peace, and joy, and contentment. They can’t prevent you from knowing God and following Christ. So if you’re angry at God because things haven’t worked out the way you hoped, you don’t need a change in your circumstances; what you need is a change of heart. If you can improve your situation, then fine. Do it. But that’s not what really matters. What matters is how you respond to the things that God brings into your life. You can’t always choose your circumstances, but you can choose your attitude.
In closing, let me ask you this: What is it in your life right now that you’re chafing against? What person or situation is making things difficult, even painful, for you? Listen to me: that person, that situation, is in your life because God loves you. They are a gift, sent by your loving Father for the purpose of your growth in grace. That trial, that suffering, is a part of his plan for you, his good, and wise, and perfect plan. It’s not a deviation from the plan, it’s not less than the ideal. Whatever you may think of it, from God’s perspective, it is the ideal, because it’s exactly what he knows you need. And if you will submit to God; if you will stop resisting his will, and just trust and obey him in the midst of that situation, then he will use it to bless you; to bring you peace, and joy, and contentment. And through it, you’ll not only come to know Christ more deeply, but you’ll become more like him as well.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
