Friday, July 8, 2016

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of ...

I’m writing this article in the immediate aftermath of our national 4th of July celebrations that were quickly followed by the controversial shootings of two men by police officers, and the sniper rampage in Dallas, Texas that killed five police officers and wounded several others. The stark contrast of a celebration of our freedom in America with the increasingly obvious unrest that threatens those freedoms causes me to reflect on what we, as followers of Jesus, are truly called to value and pursue.

In the Declaration of Independence, we assert that we have a God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As American Christians, we have tended to equate that statement with Biblical truth, and have tended to see the fulfillment of the American Dream as the will of God for our lives. However, I want to suggest that, as precious as our freedoms are, they are not the focal point of God’s agenda in the earth. Rather, the thing focused in His mind for us is the knowledge of God and revelation and exaltation of His glory.

If the pursuit of happiness is our purpose, we will find ourselves increasingly frustrated and hopeless in the face of social pressures, economic struggles, disintegrating families, and political unrest that threatens our way of life. The growing perception that our world is uncertain and  unsafe presses on our souls, and makes happiness appear to be a fading dream.

On the other hand, when we embrace the perspective that the knowledge of God and His glory is what is uppermost in His mind, then we have a grid that helps us to interpret His purposes in allowing the events of our time to transpire as they do. All through history, God has revealed Himself as powerful and glorious against the backdrop of troubling human circumstances. He has repeatedly and consistently allowed His people – the ones He loves – to be cornered in seemingly untenable situations so that He might show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust Him. Simply consider the stories of the Bible – the predicament of Joseph before he is raised to a position of authority, the long enslavement of Israel before the incredible demonstrations of power through the Exodus event, the dilemma of the young David under the hand of the tyrannical king Saul, the seemingly hopeless situation facing Daniel and his friends in Babylon – the list goes on and on. It culminates ultimately in the crucifixion of Jesus, the pivotal event in history that demonstrates the knowledge and glory of God through the resurrection of His Son.

In the light of these historical realities, the promise of Matthew 24, that immediately following the time of great tribulation in the earth, Jesus will return in power and glory to gather His people, transform us into His likeness, defeat His enemies on the earth, and establish His eternal Kingdom is a promise that we can hold on to with ultimate hope and joy. He has come in history, He is coming now to strengthen His saints by His Spirit, and He will come again bodily to fulfill every promise He has ever made. 

Since these are the facts of God’s historical interactions with His dearly loved children, why would we assume that suddenly His methodology would change, simply because we think we have a right to happiness in the short term? If happiness is our goal, we will probably not attain it. If the knowledge of God and His glory is our goal, then eternal joy will certainly be the byproduct of that quest. His promise is that He will show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 6:9), but we must see that such loyalty of heart will be tested in the crucible of trying circumstances. As C.S. Lewis so intriguingly wrote, “he is not a tame Lion.” He is not safe, but He is good, and as we align our hearts with His ways and means, we shall indeed know joy and unspeakable delight in His presence.

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