What will you settle for?

I mentioned yesterday that God doesn't want to deprive us of pleasure, but wants us to find the greatest possible pleasure - knowing Him.

It is not only in the area of earthly pleasures that we settle for less than God desires for us and offers to us.  It is also in the area of Christian living and lifestyle.  We have so many plans, programs and events that we consider to be part of living the Christian life, that we don't know how to just be Christian.  The reverse of that is true, too:  We don't know how to just be Christian, so we come up with plans, programs and events in an attempt to make it happen.    We think church is something we "go to" and that Christianity is the things we do.  Instead of equipping the saints, the church manufactures what it calls a Christian life composed of classes, seminars, etc., etc.  We are so convinced that this is being a Christian that we teach people this is how they must live.  We are proclaiming religious activities instead of teaching people how to love God and live in His strength.  Instead of equipping the saints, we are engineering a lifestyle.

We proclaim God's standard in this area of life or that.  We forget that God is "Yahweh Nissi" - the Lord My Standard.  We want so much to be holy that we try to find all the things we need to do to be holy.  And in all our efforts and doing we never quite make it.  The only way for us to "be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect" is to allow Him to be both "The Lord Our Standard" and "The Lord Who Sanctifies [Makes Holy]".  We settle for so much less than He desires for us when we seek to raise up a standard, and that standard is anything less than God Himself.  (No wonder Jesus said your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees!)  As Andrew Murray put it: "It's not the law, and not the book, not the knowledge of what is right, that works obedience, but the personal influence of God and His living fellowship."

Your Father knows how to give good things to His children.  Your Father longs to give good things to you!  He craves the privilege of giving you great joy.  He takes great delight in giving you great delight.  He has fun blessing you!  How the Father's heart must break because His children do not believe He really loves them that much.  How He must yearn to convince us He really wants only our good.  Believe that He really is, and that He really is a rewarder of those who seek Him.