We are to live doxologically in every aspect of our lives.
Everything we do, even the smallest of tasks, can be done to God’s glory. Our work can be part of our worship because we are spiritual beings. Nothing is too mundane, too ordinary, to turn into doxology, the praise of God. When we are immersed in the presence of God, we can be signs and agents of His light in this present darkness.
God calls us to spread the invisible geography of the new creation. We are to live this age in light of the next, because we are in the land of the dying waiting for the land of the living. That is why, for Christians, death is but a second birth canal—we are passing from the shadowlands into the reality.
A Hint of a Greater Good
God has created us for beauty, goodness, and intimacy. The best we have experienced of these things in this world is but a hint of what is to come. That is why we ought not sell ourselves so cheaply for the goods of this world. They will not last, but “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). What is unseen will last; what is seen will pass away.
Every one of us has a longing inside of us that cannot be satisfied with the things of this world. We may try to fill ourselves up with temporal treasure and pleasure, but we cannot find satisfaction in these things. Only God can fully satisfy us with His perfect goodness—and this is especially key to realize when we face adversity of any kind.
The Book of Job
The book of Job teaches us the secret of obeying the One we cannot understand. Even though we ask “Why?” whenever bad things happen to us, we need to realize that we cannot fully understand the answer to that question. We must allow what God is doing in our lives to result in transformation.
When we ask “why” in adversity, we ought to ask the “why of gratitude”—this means we may not understand the reason behind our suffering, but we can choose to trust in our sovereign God. We should acknowledge that He has good plans for us and is compassionate toward us, even though we may experience suffering.
Our story is part of a story that began well and that will end well. No matter what we go through, we can find satisfaction and joy in our glorious God.
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Save the Date! Ken Boa’s Reflections Ministries Retreat at the Cove is coming up, and you won’t want to miss it. On May 14–16, he’ll be discussing how to live with wisdom in a world that has lost it.
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Looking to dive deeper into the book of Job? Ken Boa’s keynote presentation gives a helpful overview.
Ken’s spiritual renewal card set covers the four whys of pain, along with other exercises to help you deepen your trust in God and increase your satisfaction in Him.