“Life is not about your being comfortable and happy and successful and pain free. It’s about becoming the man or woman God has called you to be.”
The quote above comes from this article by Chuck Swindoll who tells us that God’s goal is not to simply make sure that we’re happy. I suppopse if we’re to believe what passes for theology in some places you’d have to say that Chuck’s way off the mark. There seems to be no shortage of churches and pastors willing to tell us that God wants us to have bundles of money and to be living a very prosperous life. While I don’t think that God wants all his followers to be poor, believing that being filthy rich is the mark of a close relationship with God lacks authenticity.
On the other hand, a lot of people have tended to believe that you’re not living the life of faith unless you’re poor and miserable. That’s just rubbish.
I suppose in the eyes of a very large percentage of the world’s population, I am incredibly rich. I have a home with safe, drinkable, running water (and a whole lot more). The vast majority of the world can’t claim that kind of prosperity. However, compared to most people in my own country I’m on a moderate or low income.
Thankfully I don’t judge my life and God’s goodness by the size of my bank account or whether my life is relatively trouble free. I’m not chasing riches or comfort. I simply want to know that I’m where God wants me to be right now. That doesn’t mean that I’ve got it all together. That doesn’t mean that I don’t stuff things up regularly. It doesn’t mean that my life is without challenges. Life is complicated and those who pretend that it’s not are only deluding themselves.
What it means is that I’m moving more and more towards becoming the person I need to be; the man God created and called me to be.
Life is messy but it’s good, very good and knowing that the author of life isn’t looking to condemn me when I get it wrong, but instead wants to pick me up every time I trip and help me to reach my true potential is enough for me, in fact it’s more than enough.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Technorati Tags: Chuck Swindoll – Spirituality – Christianity – Prosperity – Life
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Excellent stuff….I love Chuck, he’s so down to earth and right on in his teaching. Another great post by YOU
Well said! 🙂
Well said indeed. I guess life is pretty much about God making us into the person He wants us to be (which is the best person we can be)and He know what we need and what needs to happen to make that possible. We can’t see the big picture like He can. Although sometimes I wish I could.
I suppose in the eyes of a very large percentage of the world’s population, I am incredibly rich.
Yes Rodney… you and I both. Thank you Lord!!
Thanks for the lovely post, Rodney.
Imperfection is where it’s at – being pain-free is over-rated anyway…! lol.
I was just reading the backup file for my old blog Sleepless, when I came across a few of the comments you’d left on my posts back then. I have to say, thanks for being there and being a part of my larger church community…