Contrasting Interests

Given that Satan encourages people toward "not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" (Mark 8:33), think for a moment about the large ramifications of such a thought process. If I am going to avoid Satan's ploy and set my mind on God's interests, not Man's, how would that look?

Consider, for a moment, the mundane. Remembering that "from Him (God) and through Him and to Him are all things" (Rom 11:36), how would we think about ... sex? You see, in our normal mode of operation (you know, the sinful one, the one focused on Man's interests, not God's, the flesh), we would say that sex is for our enjoyment ... and, oh yeah, sometimes for procreation ... but today preferably not very often. Can you see how at the outset that is premised upon "Man's interests"? It doesn't even begin to ask, "What is God's interest in the matter?"

Or, who is it that asks, in his or her search for that "significant other" who will be "my life partner", "Will he/she provide me the best opportunities to accomplish what God has in mind?" Wow! No way! We want to know if we're compatible, if he or she makes me happy, if we feel warmly toward each other, if we have "chemistry" (whatever that means). God's interests in this have very little to do with our thinking.

I begin to wonder. In what possible aspect of life do we ask, "What is God's interest in this?" Our job selection? Not very often. Our choice of friends? Not normally. Where we live? How we relate to our spouses? Our children? Our families? Our neighbors? What we wear? ("Oh, Stan, now you're just being silly." Oh, yeah? If it is true that whatever we do is supposed to be to the glory of God, then why is what we wear excluded?) After awhile this list seems to pile up until it seems as if we who are followers of Christ and lovers of God are actually not very concerned about God's interests in our everyday lives. Well, maybe you are; I'm just facing a cold, stark realization in my own life.

And I don't think any of this is trivial. There's that clear command that I just referenced, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). There is Jesus's instruction to "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:16). There is the counter statement that our primary sin problem is that we "fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). As it turns out, God's Word repeatedly, over and over, time and time again without fail makes everything a matter of God's glory. God wouldn't forsake Israel "for His great name's sake" (1 Sam 12:22). "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psa 23:3). He leads and guides us for His name's sake (Psa 31:3). He makes atonement for our sins for His name's sake (Psa 79:9). He preserves us for His name's sake (Psa 143:11). We are forgiven for His name's sake (1 John 2:12). "He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:5-6). Are you noticing a trend? Everything is about God, and everything that is about God is about God's glory.

So, let's feed that back into our everyday considerations. We ask, "Who should I marry?" when we should ask, "Who should I marry to bring God glory?" We ask, "Where should I work?" when we should ask, "What job will bring God the most glory?" We ask "What would I like to watch on TV today?" when we should ask, "Is there anything on TV that I should watch that will bring glory to God?" We are fairly sure that sex is for our own enjoyment and fulfillment when we should be examining, "What in this act brings God glory?" Even in our highest moments we are asking the wrong question. Many of us go to church without considering "Is my involvement perfunctory, or is it bringing God the most glory?" We might read our Bibles and pray, but too often it is because we ought, not because it brings God glory.

Imagine, then, a life lived with God's interests rather than Man's in mind. Sure, we'd be asking different questions and operating on different motivations than now. That should be abundantly clear. But we'd also be seeing our lives in a different light. No longer is what I put on to go to work in the morning mundane; now it is an act of worship! No longer am I trying to love my wife because I ought; it is an act of worship! I'm not working anymore to make ends meet; I'm working to glorify God! So while my motivations change, so do my perceptions. Everything is less about me, to be sure, but it is also true that everything done to the glory of God is far more signficant!

I think if we're truthful, we don't do this well. We naturally tend toward the "not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" mindset. We, consequently, tend to have skewed motivations and misplaced choices. And we tend to have gray lives. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). And perhaps this is the aim of Paul when he tells us "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2). Perhaps this is something to which we need to apply some serious consideration. God's interests, or Man's? Remember, the source of a focus on Man's is not God. It's Satan.