God's Concerns Vs. Our Concerns

I’ve often wondered if God is sitting around pondering the same great thoughts that I am pondering.  Does He long for me to have the same things that I long to have?  Is He truly concerned about my happiness and my personal comfort while I live on this earth?  Does He know the things that I desire that could make me a little bit happier and a better man?  Perhaps the correct question should be, “Do I know what God is truly concerned about when it comes to my life and what brings Him glory”?  What puts a smile on the face of God?

Most people live with passions and desires that they would like to see come to fruition.  Most of the time those passions are about our self-gratification and self-fulfillment that takes place on this side of eternity.  Those passions can be found in our employment, our children, our marriage, our retirements, and even in the things that we want to own.  Is it wrong to think or plan this way?  Is God concerned about those extra things that could complete my life and put a smile on my face?

I believe that God’s greatest concern for us is our holiness that allows us to know Him personally and to understand Him more.  The initial provision of holiness came through Jesus Christ who gives us a positional holiness in which God calls us His children and we can enjoy a relationship with Him.  It happens, as Christ’s own righteousness is placed upon us; it is the work of Christ removing our sin as we repent and turn to Him (Romans 3:21-26).  We are also active participants in the process of growing in holiness.  This is called our sanctification, which is the process of growing in Christlikeness more each day.  It is not possible to be holy without the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Our holiness is produced through the internal work of the Holy Spirit of God who lives within us and helps us to make godly choices (Galatians 5:16-26).

God instructs His people in 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

God has called us to be active participants in the sanctification process (becoming holy as He is holy) until Christ returns (1 Pet. 1:13).  Needless to say, this is not at the forefront of our minds each and every day.  This is why Paul instructs believers that we need to reprogram the way that we think about this current life.  We need to think more biblically about our current life in preparation for what is next.  Too often, we lose sight of God’s desires for our lives (which is holiness that glorifies Him) in order that we can fulfill the desires of our own heart.  We are guilty of petitioning God to hear and respond to our desires—which we of course know are the best desires (not really).  We tend to get lost in the here and now and we fail to live with God’s perspective and with eternity in mind.  Our personal holiness, which glorifies God, is His primary concern for us!