What Do You Want?

There is no doubt about it. We live in difficult times in a difficult world. There is poverty and pain, loss and sorrow, crime and sin. This isn't news. It is, in fact, an opportunity for God's enemies to point out that God isn't doing what He ought -- ending pain -- and, therefore, is either not to be trusted or, more likely, nonexistent. Christians know better. We look forward to a blessed hope, a "by and by" where all tears are washed away and eternal joy reigns. But, if we're honest, Christians suffer just as much in this world and Christians wrestle just as much with the question. Perhaps more so, since "He doesn't exist" isn't a possible answer. He does ... so how do we make sense of this? So Christians who love God will weep in trials and tribulations and understandably and reasonably ask "Why, God?" and wonder how they will make it through. If you have not experienced this, you're probably not paying attention.

Well-meaning Christians will tell those in pain "It'll be alright" and we hope for the "peace for today and bright hope for tomorrow." If it goes on too long, we likely become discouraged, but we still hang on. So I have a question. What do you want? What is it you're hoping for?

It is my suspicion that what we want is comfort. Not "comfort" as in "to be comforted", but "comfort" as in "to be comfortable". Especially Americans. We like our comfort. All we really want from God is to be comfortable. Whether that's physical or mental or emotional or social or spiritual, we just want to be comfortable. Avoid pain, steer clear of trials, and just be okay. Is that what you want? Because, if it is, you can be sure that you won't get it. Trials and tribulations aren't likely; they're promised.

To help us think about this, ask "What did people in the Bible do in similar troubles?" Well, Job (a universal image of trials) said, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21) and "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10) Paul prayed for the removal of the trial and, when it wasn't done, learned, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness," so that He "most gladly" would boast in His weakness "so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Cor 12:9) And Jesus, the epitome of suffering, asked, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me," but concluded, "yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matt 26:39) These people wanted what God wanted. They wanted nothing more and nothing less than God's perfect will. If that was loss, they wanted loss. Whatever God wanted was all they wanted.

So what do you want? Are you looking forward to heaven because there will be no more tears and no more pain and no more sadness and no more sin? That's fine. It's true. But is that what you want? Or are you looking forward to heaven because there you will finally "be at home with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8)? The question carries back, then, into today. What do you want? Is it comfort? Or is it Christ? Because in trials and pain His grace is shown to be sufficient and His power is perfected. Is that what you want? Or will you just settle for comfortable?