God is glorified as I am satisfied in him!

Look again at these two misconceptions: God is honored by what I do for him. I must contribute to his kingdom. This is my duty. And, God is glorified as I am dedicated to him. I must prove myself faithful. Again, these two misconceptions may sound good, but they are both “me-centered.”

After Linda and I were married, for thirteen years I toiled tirelessly pastoring two small churches in the US, going to school full-time, working a second job, preparing to go to Austria as missionaries and eventually helping plant two church in Austria. During those years these two misconceptions described me to a “T”! I was determined to prove myself faithful. I was duty-bound, dedicated, and hard-working. Obviously, these are not bad or wrong things! On the contrary, they are good. The problem is that I was preoccupied with and dependent on my own efforts.

But after six years in Austria, when God asked us to move back to the US I was devastated. My identity was so wrapped up in being a missionary and doing all these works for God, that once I ceased being a missionary I didn’t know who I was. Also, the foundation of my relationship with God that I had built with the bricks of my own service to him had crumbled. This situation presented me with a huge crisis of faith.

Over the next several years, God performed his surgery on me removing these deeply ingrained misconceptions. Through his Word, other followers of Christ and his works in our lives and around us he demonstrated his awesome greatness. I began finding my joy and delight in him instead of through what I could do for him. I found him not only faithful, but totally satisfying. I believe this is what Paul was talking about when he explained:

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-10 NLT)

The liberating truths that counter these two stifling misconceptions clarify, God is honored by the joy I find in him. I am a consumer of his kingdom. He is my delight. And, God is glorified as I am satisfied in him. I find him faithful. In this way we enjoy God fully as he has designed us to!

In Psalm 34:8 David challenges us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

©2009 Rob Fischer