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Conformity and Expectations
Jul 16, 06:13 PM
Traveling internationally and being sensitive to other cultural mindsets has taught me many things about American society. One of the most dangerous assumptions of our generation is that life is supposed to make us happy. We have become veritable slaves to that expectation. Some will earn it while others will steal it. Either way, in America, we tend to demand that life conform to our expectations. The trouble is, in our society we have the wherewithal to make it happen. We have the technological and economic ability to insulate ourselves from discomfort, disease, and most all of the calamities and hardships common to the rest of the world. We can altar our environment to suit us and shield our children from failure, disappointment, or anything else which might threaten their well being. In short, we are genetically engineering life to meet our expectations. This mindset does not magically disappear when it comes to our faith.
People often struggle with faith because God simply will not conform to our expectations or demands. Most are determined to believe in a god who will do two things: make something right which is terribly wrong (like human suffering of all kinds) and then leave us alone. Human beings want a faith in God devoid of guilt or responsibility. The Cross of Jesus Christ is both a judgment against humanity and an affirmation of it. The Cross was necessary and inevitable. It was necessary because of human sin. It was inevitable because when the True Light came into the world, men acted to snuff it out. They prefer darkness to light because their deeds are evil. At the same time, the Cross affirmed God’s love for the world because God sent His Only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the power of deliverance from sin’s destructive condemnation.
I know that God answers prayer. I know that God is a God of miracles. But I do not require that God answer my prayers in accordance with the where, how, and when of my personal demands. God’s power is not designed simply to make me happy. When I submit myself to the plans and purposes of God and participate with Him in His redemptive work, His power is released in me in accordance with those plans and purposes. We were not put on this earth to find personal happiness. We were put on this earth to have fellowship with God through Christ, to be made like Him, and to participate with Him in His work.
It is vital that we, as North Americans, continue to share life with people in other cultures. We have much to learn. We have much to share. One of the most important is the realization that the way we think, the way we see life and set our goals, is not the same as our brothers and sisters in other lands. We would do well to have their perspective assist in shaping ours. The world is going global. So is the Kingdom. It has always been, but in our generation, we have the ability to see the globalization of the Kingdom in unprecedented ways.
Sandy and I send our love. God bless you.