As usual, the things I have to say are elementary...things I've been taught long ago but am still learning to understand.
The thing that has been on my heart for the past couple of weeks is the idea (or the fact, rather) that every good thing on this earth is a reflection of God and is meant to point us to Him so that He ultimately is glorified and His people are drawn to Him.
EVERY good thing...every single good thing that we come across is a hint, a shadow, a reflection of Him.
If we really believed that, we wouldn't be so attached to the good "things" in our lives. It's not wrong to love good things, but the result should be looking to God and praising Him for His awesomeness and goodness.
The first "thing" that I was thinking about when this topic started creeping into my heart was people. God takes pleasure in showing us His good qualities by pouring a few of them into every individual He has created. We all enjoy people and relationships with those people -- but how awesome is it that God is the culmination of all the good things we see in each other.
I'm going to pause briefly to say that there is one key that unlocks the ability for this concept to alter the way we think, live, and look to the future: belief. Belief is a struggle. Many Christians still struggle with the belief that God really is GOOD and that truly He loves us. Some of us still subconsciously believe that God is boring compared to this vivid, "real" world we live in. And some of us still continue to struggle with the belief that God is even real and that Jesus the Messiah is really divine. I still haven't fully figured out how to effectively combat doubt. But I know it's not a bad idea to periodically step back and tell oneself, "If I don't believe that God is real and good and present in our lives, then I don't believe in the whole Bible or the gospel; and if I don't believe in the Bible or a personal, good God, then what exactly do I believe?
In times of doubt, sometimes one must simply make a decision to believe that there is a God, that His Word is pure, that His covenant with His People has been opened up to the entire population of the world via Jesus, and that the fullness of God dwells within each person that has Christ.
Back to the fun news: the God that created us wanted to show Himself to us by reflecting Himself off of us. As you walk through life, you will encounter so many different people. Some of these people will cause you to want spend more time around them. There are even non-believers that have been given qualities that reflect God, and we're meant to admire these qualities in such a way that points us back to the Source.
How much better is something when we find it at its source? How much more fresh, healthy, and tasty is food found at its source than something that has been shipped around or tampered with. If you're a seafood person, you know it's better to get seafood in Houston than it is in South Dakota. Houston is next to the source. Walking around Leipzig, Germany last Summer -- though it may not be now what it was in the 1700s -- I was walking around the source of so much great music that is fundamental to what I do and study today. Naturally, it was surreal to walk by the house of Robert Schumann and sit inside Bach's church. To cut back to food analogies, if someone offered you the choice between 1) a fruit that was picked two weeks ago, frozen (or otherwise preserved), and shipped across the country to you and 2) the same fruit, except that you picked it off of the tree yourself at the moment it was most ripe, what would you choose? God is the tree.
We tend to idolize the "thing" and forget about the Source. God is the source of all pleasure. But do you really believe that? "We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your temple." "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." These words are coming from a king -- someone who had it all. Riches and power were his. If David wanted land, all he would have to do is give the command. If he wanted a wife, it was done. That's a touchy subject considering his infamous sin, but the point is: despite having power and having a whole country at his feet, he knew that the only real goodness and pleasure was in the presence of God. Like us, he certainly didn't adhere to that knowledge 24/7. If only we could! Then, we could avoid the huge pitfalls into which our idolatry and lusts draw us.
If I remembered the goodness of God -- that all good things proceed from Him and that the best qualities I see in a person are just a drop of Himself that He put there, how much more will I be drawn to Him? Everything lines up properly when we recognize these facts. Are you jealous of this particular person that is gifted in ways you aren't? Remind yourself that these are qualities of God and that He is sharing them with you through this person. Or, instead of being jealous, maybe you're idolizing this person. Again, be reminded that this person is merely giving you a glimpse of the goodness of God. Are you prideful because of your own good attributes? Know that all good things come from Him and that you have been given the responsibility to reflect your God. Once you take credit for His goodness in you....let's just say I don't want to be around when God teaches you a lesson! Are you saddened by the loss or absence (or knowledge of future absence) of a good thing/person in your life? I know I am! But no matter how good those things are (the love of a family member, the companionship of a best friend, the regular encouragement you get from an acquaintance at your workplace, the inspiring wisdom of one of your teachers) this stuff is just frozen food compared with the fresh and vivid goodness that you will always and forever find in God through Jesus. I'm praying that I can simply remember to tell myself these things every day. It's so difficult, because from the time that we're children, we're trained to experience the world through our 5 senses instead of through the lens of belief in our Savior. Now is the time to remove our normal lenses and see things through the lens of Christ, the source and creator of all goodness and pleasure.
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