It’s Not All About You!

As I was reading scripture recently, a little phrase kept jumping out at me. It resonates with what I have experienced of God myself. He is the one who leaves nothing to chance, who pays attention to detail and it is one of the things that makes me feel safe, knowing that he has all the details of my life, in fact the details of the world, in hand.

As a backdrop to this phrase, I had been contemplating how we have made so much of our Christian experience, our journey, particularly I think in the West, all about us. We approach the gospel with a “what’s in it for me?” mentality where we weigh up the pros and cons of life with Jesus like some great set of scales with “what I get out of it” on one side and “what I lose” on the other side. Ultimately “I” am at the centre of everything. Then we bring that attitude into our churches and so if we don’t like something about the style or the way the services are conducted, if we don’t feel like we are “getting anything” from the worship or the sermons, we go elsewhere. Out attitude can be very consumer-like and I think many churches have felt the pressure to respond to their “customers” in a way that respond to “customer satisfaction” and so we end up with the concept of “seeker-friendly” services and church leaders doing things to keep the congregation happy, well-fed, even “fat”, and happy. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate church. It’s God’s idea! But I think we have maybe warped the idea of what it is all about.

The phrase I kept seeing in scripture was “so that”. A little phrase but one that is significant, especially in the context of our consumer attitudes. I first spotted it as I was rereading Ephesians one day. Ephesians has some wonderful verses that declare the truth of what God has done for us and our new identity in Christ and it is so good to read when you need reminding of that. Chapter 1:4 was where I started noticing this, here in the GNB:

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his sons and daughters — this was his pleasure and purpose.

We love to focus on the spiritual blessing, the fact that we are chosen, united with him, sons and daughters, and of that is gloriously true but I was arrested by “so that”, by the thought, which it states right here, that there is purpose behind all this. So that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Our Heavenly Father is a beautifully abundant, gracious giving Father who loves to bless his children but what I have been made aware of is the bigger picture. Jesus blessed people with freedom and healing, no strings attached when he was walking on the earth and that is still the case today. He does not say, ‘if you don’t follow me you will lose your healing’ but his invitation is always for relationship with us. His purpose here is to set us apart as his beloved children, having us walk in that faultless state that Adam and Eve had before the fall. So far so good, and still a benefit for us! I moved in into Ephesiaans chapter 2 and came to a favourite verse that I have used so often for myself and others, verse 10, this time in the AMP version

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

Oh, how I love this concept that God is the master craftsman and we are his work of art. Living in the reality of the Jeremiah 18 potter’s house can be a bit uncomfortable at times when we are being moulded and shaped, as many of us can testify to but still, we are being made more beautiful and more Christ-like and being freed of our junk certainly makes life feel better. But hang on a minute, it talks here about “good works”. It says that we are being transformed, not so that we can feel better but so that we can walk in the good works that he planned for us. In Ephesians 2:14-15 it continued shortening the sneaky phrase to “that” in the ESV.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

I like the fact that he is our peace. I like the fact that he reconciles us, Jew and Gentile, and any other dividing walls – gender, race, socio-economics, generational, whatever the category. But the purpose is not to make my life easier, or even to bring about world peace but to reconcile us to God, to make us one in him. There is a bigger picture to consider.

Reading on, Paul says there is another purpose I need to be aware of as he explains, in Ephesians 3: 8-11, that God gave him the grace he did for a particular purpose which was

to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord

This gospel is not just to impact my life, my relationships, my region, or even my nation but also the spiritual realms. Wow. This thing is so much bigger than we make it. How do we manage to shrink it down to “When I die will I go to heaven?”.

It seems obvious, the more I read that God did not just create me because it was a good idea.  He wants to have an intimate relationship with his people, his bride, that is evident in the story of scripture from Genesis right through to Revelation – that picture of God dwelling with his people, living in close, intimate union, nothing hidden, as one.  Beautiful and my heart longs for that on an individual basis but an important reality is that his bride is not just one individual even though there is an individual reality to this.  

I can testify to that growing intimacy as I continue this adventure with Jesus.  I am a great proponent of anything that helps us develop that intimacy. I am all for anything that helps remove the barriers between me and God, and between me and my brothers and sisters in Christ; anything that develops my ability to become more Christ-like which Romans 8:29 tells us is part of the plan

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

However, I think it is very easy to get so focussed on me, dealing with my stuff, learning and growing “my” calling, “my” gifts and abilities in a desire to become something useful that we forget that there is a bigger picture. There is nothing wrong with all of those things but the balance is important. I think there have been times, particularly over the last couple of years where the journey of growth and being “reworked” on the potters wheel has been intense, where I have become self-focussed to the point of forgetting the point of all this. Back to one of my favourite books, John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

And John 14: explains that him giving us whatever we ask has a purpose:

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Due to this intentional, no details missed, purposeful nature of our God it does mean that I find coincidences are often not coincidences and it makes me aware that the God who can orchestrate things to make Jesus life, death and resurrection fulfil so many prophecies is more than able to orchestrate the details of my life, if I will trust him!

Our life matters!   We are meant to be of significance in our world.  We have been chosen.  We have been appointed … but for a specific purpose – to bear fruit and fruit that is eternal.  We were made on purpose for a purpose.  It is great to partner with God in the growth and development necessary to further that purpose but let’s remember the point! 

So what is that fruit? Well, the only fruit that is eternal relates to people, everything else will pass away. Jesus was all about people. He did not get hung up on church buildings, programmes or “civilian matters”. He remained focussed, doing what he saw his Father doing and not deviating. He is the one who crossed a stormy sea to meet with one demoniac in the Decapolis area, detoured via Samaria to meet one woman by a well. The more I read of his ministry, the more struck I am by how intentional he was. God does not leave things to chance. He is not taken by surprise. The fall did not shock him. It was already catered for in his plans as Revelation 13:8 tells us Jesus was

The Lamb slain before the beginning of the world

Like the gospel of Mark which finishes with last instructions from Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel, Matthew finishes in chapter 28:18-20 with what is known as the great commission – our purpose underlined by the use of the word “therefore” which indicates the reason for him giving us the authority. 

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

Finally, in the beginning of Acts (1:8), Jesus outlines the purpose of the gift of Holy Spirit that we all need.  Holy Spirit is not to give us goosebumps, make us feel nice or even just help us do life better but in order that we are effective witnesses to Jesus. 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

God being the amazing, abundant one that he is, his purpose is not limited to one thing at a time. He is capable of fulfilling several purposes at once. It is not either other people or my development but I want to stay on track, not imbalanced in any way, then I know I can be following his leading and he is developing my ability to trust him for his provision, whilst simultaneously he is answering someone else’s prayer as I encounter them on the journey, and the connection can link them to someone else that furthers God’s kingdom and touches other lives through that connection. Incredible! What an amazing God who sees all the details, and has such a beautiful way of weaving things together with intentionality and purpose throughout. I am in awe!