The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were judged as being pious because of their somber dispositions. Some of the Puritans encouraged frowning as an expression of religious seriousness. The truth is that we don’t need encouragement to frown or be unhappy. Life will give us plenty of reasons for that.
In his Confessions, Augustine asked, “Is not a happy life the thing that all desire, and is there anyone who altogether desires it not?” He went on to add, “But where did they acquire the knowledge of it, that they so desire it? Where have they seen it, that they so love it?” Augustine’s point was that a desire for happiness is etched into our psyche. We long for it, but we often find ourselves seeking it in the wrong places. Even when we find joy in earthly delights, we discover that they don’t last.
When I think of happiness from a biblical viewpoint, I’m often drawn to Jeremiah. “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13, ESV). There is a sadness in God’s rebuke related to the deceptiveness and destructive nature of sin; it promises what it can’t deliver.
The people of Judah rejected God and chose their own path. Jeremiah equates this to rejecting living, moving water for the stale water of a cistern, and a broken one at that. Sin promises happiness but only delivers hurt. Perhaps you have family or friends who are on this road to disillusionment and dissatisfaction. What do we do? We speak truth when the opportunity is there, but for those closest to us, we need to ask ourselves, “Do I live an attractive life? Do I live a life of rest? Do I seek hope in the living waters of Jesus? Or do I seek hope in that which will always disappoint?”
“As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:11-12). We are ‘prisoners’ of hope, so are we hoping in the right things? What are you seeking hope in that will never deliver? What cisterns have you built?
May we all return to drink deeply of the living waters of Jesus.
Amy and I returned home recently from a week in Manhattan. New York is a great city in many ways, but in other ways, it reminds me of ancient Nineveh. It’s a center of both U.S. and global culture. Whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it in the city. There are many expressions of religion but little light. Many historical representations of the Christian faith have sacrificed truth on the altar of cultural accommodation.
I do not mean to insensate that there are not many God-fearing pastors and churches who, like Elijah, serve the Lord faithfully in this challenging context. Indeed, many (thousands) uncompromisingly serve here even though it is a difficult place to live and minister.
Nor am I saying that New York is unique. The same could be said of large and small towns in the Bible Belt and beyond. It’s just more visible in a place like New York. If anything, it is simply a concentrated manifestation of the brokenness of our broader society.
“However, my response is not one of despair. Rather, my observations drive me to my knees as I cry out, “Oh God, bring more gospel hope to this city!”However, my response is not one of despair. Instead, my observations drive me to my knees as I cry, “Oh God, bring more gospel hope to this city!”
“I do not call down curses like Jonah did. Instead, with the heart of God as my guide, I pray and ask others to do likewise, “Should not I pity…this great city, in which there are more than eight million people?” Jonah 4:11 (contextual application).”I do not call down curses like Jonah did. Instead, with the heart of God as my guide, I pray and ask others to do likewise, “Should not I pity…this great city, in which there are more than eight million people?” Jonah 4:11 (contextual application).
In the natural, it seems hopeless, but with God, all things are possible!
Why do so many Christians whose souls are eternally secure fail to experience the abundant life God has promised to those who believe? Jesus promised us many things–forgiveness, rest, refreshment, comfort, hope, fruitfulness, friendship with God, and eternal life, but few believers thoroughly enjoy these. Why?
I think it’s because most Christians fail to move past the do’s and don’ts of Christianity, or they turn salvation into a binary proposition. In the first case, they’re focusing on the wrong things, and in the second, they never grow into a fuller understanding of what God is offering. Both of these are based on bad theology.
By the way, I was raised in a religious context that focused on the don’ts almost exclusively, and in a fear that people would respond inappropriately to grace, they never taught it. As you might imagine, this approach to faith leads to either fear or, in my case, a rejection of faith altogether. It wasn’t until I understood that there was nothing I could do to separate me from the love of God that I was drawn into a life-giving relationship with my Heavenly Father that led to me enjoying all of the promises mentioned above.
So, let’s dig into those promises and examine why we might not be experiencing them.
Forgiveness–most Christians understand that God forgives their sins at the point of salvation, but they fail to understand the ongoing nature of forgiveness. God has not only forgiven our past sins, but he has forgiven our future sins as well. Some people push back hard on this point, but in doing so, they reveal the works-based nature connected to their view of salvation. Yes, I am called to repent of my sins. However, this is more about keeping my relationship with God fresh and pure than transactionally receiving the forgiveness of sin necessary for salvation. It’s an acknowledgment before God that I am both saint and sinner. When we fail to understand the ongoing nature of God’s forgiveness rightly, we cannot enter into the other promises of God. Likewise, we’ll never be able to forgive ourselves or those who have sinned against us.
Rest–I lived for so many years like everything was up to me. Much of this was related to the lousy theology described above. After all, orthopraxy (right actions) seldom flows from a lack of orthodoxy (correct belief). If you fail to understand that God has done (and continues to do) for you what you couldn’t do for yourself, you’ll spend the rest of your life working for something already accomplished. God set a pattern for rest in creation, and the writer of Hebrews connects the sabbath to the rest we’re called to enter into through Jesus’ work on the cross. Also, many American Christians have associated abundant life with the American dream. While I’m grateful for the abundance we experience, the truth is that it probably does more to separate us from the joy and rest that we’re promised than it provides it.
Refreshment–The Apostle Paul links repentance with refreshing. Does repentance have to do with a sorrowful turning from sin? Sure, but it’s much more than that. Repentance is a turning from the futility of the world and turning to the way of God. It only makes sense that we won’t experience this refreshing if we aren’t living within God’s order. Screaming at Google Maps when I refuse to follow directions accomplishes nothing good. The only way to get to the correct destination is to follow the guidance of one (One) who knows the way!
Comfort–When I use the word comfort here, I’m not referring to an absence of pain. I’m speaking of the comfort Jesus promised us through the work of the Holy Spirit amid our pain. Jesus promised his disciples the Comforter, and at the same time, He told them that He was leaving going to leave them soon. They were dealing with great uncertainty, but he promised them a comfort that would outweigh their concerns. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:3-5, emphasis mine). The comfort we receive comes from God through the Holy Spirit and His people. In short, we can’t experience the comfort God has promised if we aren’t in communion with Him and community with His people.
Hope-I’ve come to a place where I think the opposite of hope is fear. Hopelessness is the absence of hope–not the opposite of it. Nothing seems to repeal hope like fear; however, I’ve also discovered that nothing repeals fear like hope. And, both are linked to the love of God. As the Bible states “Perfect (mature) love drives out all fear”” (1 John 4:18) and “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). The experiential love God gives drives out fear, and this usher in the hope He promises.
Fruitfulness–For way too many years, I worked for fruitfulness. Okay, honestly, I worked for success. Only after experiencing significant dissatisfaction did I realize that success and fruitfulness aren’t the same. People work for success. Some achieve it–others don’t. As God describes it, fruitfulness is the overflow of His work in our life. The branch doesn’t work to be fruitful. It just abides in the vine. If we abide (fully resting in Him–allowing His life-giving nourishment to flow into and through us) in Him, He’ll produce the fruit, and we’ll be amazed.
Friendship with God–I have always felt a lack of friendship. I’m sure that comes with being an only child (Sorry if this blog feels like my approach to “free therapy!”). I’m always concerned about what people think of me, leading me to try too hard. The wonderful part about friendship with God is that he knows me fully, loves me completely, and He’s the One who initiates the friendship. It doesn’t get better than that! “Friendship with God–I have always felt a lack of friendship. I’m sure that comes with being an only child (Sorry if this blog feels like my approach to “free therapy!”). I’m always concerned about what people think of me, leading me to try too hard. The wonderful part about friendship with God is that he knows me fully, loves me completely, and He’s the One who initiates the friendship. It doesn’t get better than that!
Eternal Life–Most Christians equate eternal life with going to heaven. It surely includes that, but it’s so much more. The Apostle John put it this way “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The best thing about heaven is that our knowledge of God will once and for all be perfect. Nevertheless, we can know God on this side of eternity. When we know God, when we embrace Him in all of His attributes, we understand that there is no problem too big, no pain too great, and no need that surpasses his ability to meet.
I know I’ve only touched briefly on each of these points, but I wanted to give you a bit of insight into the growth pilgrimage God has me on. It isn’t always fun, but it’s always good.
Maranatha!
By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about the attributes of God, I would recommend The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. It’s a classic.
The following quote is admittedly heavy for a Monday morning. However, only after assessing the reality of the day can we repent and return to our Lord is loving humility. My prayer that follows is as broken as I am, but maybe you might want to join me in praying something similar for yourself.
“No book in the Old Testament offers the modern church as telling a mirror as (the Book of Judges). From the jealousies of the Ephraimites to the religious pragmatism of the Danites, from the paganism of Gideon to the self-centeredness of Samson, and from the unmanliness of Barak to the violence against women by the men of Gibeah, all the marks of Canaanite degeneracy are evident in the church and its leaders today. This book is a wake-up call for a church moribund in its own selfish pursuits. Instead of heeding the call of truly godly leaders and letting Jesus Christ be Lord of the church, everywhere congregations and their leaders do what is right in their own eyes.” Daniel Block
“Oh, Jesus, heal the wickedness of my own heart, and treat my tears as a seed from which national repentance might grow.”
