I have learned many things in life. Some have been simple lessons, such as not touching a hot stove with your bare hand. Others have been more complicated, such as learning that when your wife is hinting at something she is really telling you that you should just do it. We live and we learn from the situations that we face each day.
God is no different. He is constantly trying to teach us things. If we aren’t learning it’s because we don’t really care to learn. God is always speaking, but it’s our responsibility to listen. We can learn some very valuable lessons if we will just listen to and obey his word.
For example, the most important thing for us to learn as Christians is to trust God, no matter what. Jeremiah informs us that God is the potter and we are the clay. The potter wants to mold the clay however he sees fit. Unfortunately, sometimes the clay just doesn’t want to be molded.
Our job as the clay is to put ourselves into the hand of the potter, and let him do what he does. Jesus himself said, “Not my will, but yours, be done.” He was providing an example for us to follow. No matter what God asks of us we are to do it, and do it willingly.
The problem is that we have become a “me-centered” culture. We expect everything to revolve around us. We are told, in fact, that everything does revolve around us. Entire industries do things specifically to please us and get our business. Advertisements are directed toward us to make us feel like we need a certain product. Why? Because it will somehow make OUR lives better.
Then there is the phenomenon known as the “selfie.” I’m sorry, but this is a perfect example of where this world is at. We like to take pictures of ourselves and then post them on social media. Does it get more self-centered than that? I’m not saying that people who take selfies are bad, just that we should really do some self-examining on our motives and intentions.
The Kingdom of God doesn’t revolve around us. God doesn’t owe us anything and his goal isn’t to make us feel better about ourselves. He does everything for his glory and his purpose. This is why Jesus tells us to pray in HIS name. If you study it out, he is referring to his purpose. God will not share his glory with anyone. That includes us.
The goal of our lives is to bring glory to God. Too many Christians go to church just to get something out of it for themselves. That is a very selfish way to live. The primary reason to go to church is to glorify God, and when we do that he then blesses us. But we shouldn’t be going for the blessings, the pretty lights, the great music, or even the best preaching. We should go because we love God and we want to glorify him.
Living requires learning. Every day we adjust to new circumstances and situations around us. Living for God requires the same thing. Every day living for him is an opportunity to learn something more about him. If you live long enough, and learn about him enough, you will realize that you really can trust him. You will also learn that his purpose and his will matter above all else.
