Grieve or Glorify?

Grieve or Glorify?

If we were to stop for a moment and ask ourselves: “What it is I’m working toward? What is my motivation? What’s my goal, plan, and strategy for life?”  What would we say?

In Genesis 6:5, just prior to the great deluge of Noah’s day, God "saw that humanity's wickedness was everywhere on the earth, and that every scheme their minds thought of was exclusively evil all the time. The Lord regretted that He made man on the earth and He was grieved in His heart."

After reading that passage our tendency might be to think that in Noah’s day the entire population of the world, save Noah, were busy plotting murderous schemes, participating in orgies, raping, pillaging, and plundering. But that’s not the case at all. In Romans 14:23 we read, “...and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

99.99999…% of the earth’s population, save Noah, never gave our Creator a thought. “...every scheme their minds thought of was exclusively evil all the time.” To be sure, there were the murderers, rapists, pedophiles, thieves, etc., but the vast majority were gardening, farming, building, working, sleeping, dreaming… all apart from God.

Whether building a children’s hospital, serving at an animal shelter, picking up trash, or feeding the homeless - apart from faith it is sin. God considers sin vile, repulsive, and evil. That is why the Bible tells us “God saw that humanity’s wickedness was everywhere on the earth, and that every scheme their minds thought of was exclusively evil all the time.”

God made us to in Their (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) image, i.e. commUnity, and likeness (altruistic/selfless love). Through our Declaration of Independence from God in Eden (and today) we brought/bring the consequence of death upon ourselves.

Independence from God is the definition of death.

Just as in Noah’s day, in a world filled with autonomous, independent, self-righteous rejectors of God, The Lord's heart is grieved.

Back then there was one - JUST ONE - guy, Noah, who didn’t have his own agenda. There was just one guy who desired God's will over his own. Despite the fact that building a ginormous boat undoubtedly seemed insane to Noah on a purely 'rational' level, Noah had obviously learned that the rational-reasonable-logical stuff of “life” hadn't brought him any real joy, peace, or hope.

So when God revealed Himself to Noah and said, "Make yourself an ark of cypress/gopher wood." Noah got after it straight away - no questions asked. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (Gen 6:22).

So what about you? Where do the plans of your life and the inclinations of your heart and thoughts originate from and elevate to? Are they of and for God or are they yours?

When God evaluates where you've been and what you've accomplished with the time, talents, and treasures He's given you, will it withstand the imminent flood of judgment - like Noah's ark,  or as Psalm 1:4 states will they be more "like chaff that the wind blows away?"

Truth is there is no "middle ground," only Satan promotes the idea of lukewarm Christians.  Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters,” and in the book of Revelation He says, “because you are lukewarm... I am going to vomit you out of my mouth."

Are plans and goals of your life truly His to do with what He will and how He pleases? Or are they your plans, your dreams, and your desires for your control, your significance, and your comfort?

Does your heart of allegiance, love, and obedience belong to Him? We either gather or scatter, we either serve in obedience and love or we are vomited out, we either grieve God's heart or glorify His name now and forever.

I’ll leave you with these final words from Jesus: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

Which will it be: Grieve or Glorify?

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com