The purpose of Job comes as a surprise to most believers. Job’s message does not question God, but us. It does not answer the question, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” or “Why does God allow suffering?” but rather, “Why do we serve God?” Satan did not doubt Job’s continual obedience to God but his reason for obeying God. You see, Satan thought God was "spoiling" Job. He wanted to see if Job was righteous because he cherished God's gifts or if He was righteous because He cherished God Himself.
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.
Job 1:9-11
Through the book of Job, God convicted me in ways I never expected. He revealed to me the depth of my sin. Sin is disobeying God not only with my actions, but with my motives and my attitude as well. The book of Job prompted the question, “Why do I really serve God”? My motivation to follow God and grow my relationship with Him is not always one hundred percent pure. I find I often love the gift more than I love the Giver. Ultimately, God is who satisfies us, not His blessings. While enjoying God should include thanking Him for his gifts, the essence of righteous living is enjoying God solely for all He is worth. God’s blessings come and go, but He always has been and always will be.
I associate God’s gifts with His character. While God’s gifts reflect His nature, they do not equal His nature. God Himself should draw us closer to him, not what He gives us. God’s gifts are independent of His kindness. If God suddenly chose to withhold every good thing from our lives, He would still be good and He would still love us the same.
My worship reveals my true motives. I lay before God all that I want from Him. Sometimes, I love answered prayers more than God. I want Him to grow me, to remove painful things from my life, reveal to me His plan, keep me safe, and heal my family. This list is often longer than my reflection on God’s character. When God answers these requests, I love Him more. I expect God to give me good things in response to my good deeds. I expect Him to love me more. I expect to be happier and more complete. I love praising God for my gifts more than praising His attributes. I praise God for all the good things in my life: grace, family, friends, my job, excellent health. This makes me feel closer to Him. In worship, I dwell more on my blessings than my Savior. While enjoying God results in thanksgiving, it is not the essence of it.
I love the feeling I get from God more than I love God Himself. This is a deep issue to wrestle with. I find myself getting wrapped up in the emotional side of my relationship with Christ. During my quiet time I enjoy drinking coffee, journaling in a pretty notebook with pretty handwriting, and feeling good about myself while doing it. While God does give us supernatural feelings of joy and contentment, those emotions should not be desired more than God.
While I have not arrived at a perfect satisfaction with God, I appreciate when God takes things away so that I cling to Him more. God finds a way to make Himself my ultimate motivation for serving Him. When I begin to desire the things of this world, the good and the bad, more than I desire to grow my relationship with God, God wakes me up. He messes up my plans, he takes away my idols, and puts me through a trial that forces me to rely on nothing besides Him. During times of suffering, my motives are revealed and I grow closer to Him. Although unpleasant in the moment, I thank God for those seasons because they teach me that He always outshines His gifts.
So, if our relationship with God should not be based on His benefits then what should it be based upon? An intimate relationship with God relies upon the acknowledgment of who He is. We can fully recognize all that He is because of His grace. God gives us the desire to desire Him. God’s Holy Spirit draws us closer to the heart of God. Our sole purpose in life is to know and enjoy God not to know and enjoy answered prayers, supernatural peace, unconditional joy, undying hope, and eternal life. While all of those benefits allow us to appreciate God more, they are in no way better than Him. Enjoying God for all He is worth brings more honor to His Name than the results of enjoying God: thanking Him for His blessings, obeying His Word, or believing in His promises.
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The Girl Next Door
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