What is it that you hope to get out of God? Seriously, what do you want from this relationship? I'm not sure many of us have asked that question of ourselves. We all want something but I doubt many of us realize it. Some people just want a sense that they belong to something. Others want to be part of something bigger than themselves. A few think God will make them rich and others that he will help them survive. Many others are looking for a source of strength to help them make it through life with all of its tragedies. The fact is, our perspective is wrong.
Although we live our life here one day at a time, we have to live it with an eternal perspective. We have to realize what our true hope is and it isn't found in our retirement. Much of what we have been promised is future dated with God. It is like Abraham and the promise he received. He did not get to see the great nations he would father or the impact that his "family" would have on this world. All he saw was one son, who was the promise of the things to come. He had a great relationship with God and was called God's friend but his hope was found in what was future dated.
Sometimes we are so busy trying to live our life that we forget about the eternal perspective. We forget that this life is only a shadow of what is to come. We forget that the Spirit is not the whole thing but only a deposit guaranteeing what will follow. Paul reminded the Colossians of their source of hope:
"...the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you." (Colossians1:5-6)
Don't get me wrong, I believe the Kingdom of God is here, in our hearts and great things are done through God's children. I believe evidence of the Kingdom is all around us, but it is still only a foreshadowing of what is to come. Remember how the apostle Paul described it:
"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:9-12)
It is great that we have the Holy Spirit now but soon we will be face to face with the one we love. It is great that we have the Word but soon we will have complete knowledge of the one we love. It is really great that we have some understanding of spiritual truths but soon we will have full understanding. We have the promise of salvation, of resurrection, of eternal rest and soon those promises will be fulfilled. This is what we have to keep in mind that "soon and very soon we are going to see the King".
Our hope cannot be found in any source in this world, even in the Kingdom things in this world. If it is then our perspective is wrong, our orientation is messed up and we need to get our eyes back on the prize. Yes, Jesus has given us promises in this place but I want you to look closely at those promises. They are promises to help you carry out your mission. We are called to overcome from the perspective of bringing Jesus to this dark world. Too many of us are seeking comfort and solace in this world we are just passing through but Jesus said there would be no comfort here, only tough times because we are not natural to this place any more.
We are agitators. The Church should be provoking people to consider Jesus. Instead we are trying to "find our place" in society. Jesus told us that if we do it right the world will hate us like it hated him. We are suppose to be busy with the Kingdom things, making disciples of Jesus, bringing hope to a dying world. We are not to get caught up in the affairs of this world with all of its "logical and wise" thinking. We are bringers of the truth and we are willing to lose everything here to bring it.
This is the reason why it is so important that we understand what our real hope is so that we are not tossed about when our false hope fails. People will come and go in our lives, as will possessions, money and time. We have been promised the resources we need to complete our race, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually but this is for the sake of other people. Our hope is not found in anything in this world but is "stored up for you in heaven" and it is from here that faith and love spring up. Any other source is the wrong source.
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