NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

May 15 - Dignity and Desire

Scripture focus: Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours. Hebrews 11:39-40 (The Message)

[If] there were none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach for anything better.

Florence Nightingale

Who arrives? Seriously, who makes it to their idealized God-created self on planet earth and sustains the ideal? We have moments, right? I have had moments, supernatural and mysterious, beautiful and blessed, when in that golden moment, I knew that I was living in the present – fully the woman God created. And then it passes. Bummer!

Currently I'm reading a book called StrengthsFinders 2.0 – and it's marvelous. One of the strengths that some people possess is "achievement." These folks are never content. They're always striving for the next big win. They don't glory in the praise and satisfaction of achievement, they get their kicks from the battle to achieve. Contentment for these people is fleeting. Those blessed with this strength report that it is a double-edged sword; sometimes they wish they could relax. But most say that they'd rather achieve than be free from the passion that drives them.

As I read this description, I thought about all those who believe in God. It occurred to me that we all in some form or another are gifted with the need to achieve once we make a decision to trust God. As we grow up in our salvation, and hear about our promise and potential, believers not only enter into God's rest, they also commit to his purposes.

So we who believe struggle with a divine call – resting as we surrender to God and filled with a desire to walk with God. As we walk, we pursue his purposes. This desire has a necessary element of frustration. Our lives are no longer our own. We are bound to a community of believers, all joined in fulfilling God's better plan. No longer is our journey a solo flight – we are woven inextricably into the tapestry of all God's people, each solitary thread one of many, destined to one day reveal the glory of the Lord.

It will be essential to develop skill set #13 in order to embrace the ride.

Skill set #13: Develop a commitment to dignity (not pride). This requires taking a risk that we are loving and created in the image of God – no matter what happens that indicates otherwise. It is an open-ended allowance for the mystery of being made in the image of God, trusting God to bring that dream to fruition and commitment to cooperating with the process.

Recommended reading: Deuteronomy 23-25

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