If-Then

I think there’s this common misconception in the Christian faith that if we do everything right then we will get everything we want. I think this comes into play when we think about the Psalm 37:4-5 verse:

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

I got an email yesterday with this verse in it and it got me thinking. The thing we do with this verse is paraphrase. If you’ve grown up in the Christian faith, you’ve heard it a million times. But what we hear is “He will give you the desires of your heart” and we don’t hear the rest.

And even if you do hear the rest of the verse, that doesn’t mean you get it. I know I don’t get it. What I mean by this is that I still have this tendency to approach God with an If-Then statement… “If I love God then I will get”… you fill in the blank.

But that’s not how God is and I’m learning that everyday. This past summer I was really angry with God, and at some moments, I can still be. This mainly had to do with the fact that I was a fresh college graduate and still single. I was under the belief that if I did everything right and followed God’s ways then I would get a boyfriend and the perfect job by the time I graduated. None of that has happened yet, and I can honestly say that I am at peace with that now.

The reason that I feel at peace about all of this is because I think I’m starting to realize what this verse truly means.

Let’s take some time to focus on the parts that we normally forget. First, “Delight yourself in the LORD.”- Find your joy in Him. Not in the things that could or haven’t happened yet. The thing is, if you truly delight in the LORD, the deepest desires of your heart are already fulfilled in him, because he provides everything you need. I’m not saying you’re never going to get the things you want most, but if you find peace in God, then you find peace and patience in your heart to trust God’s timing.

That leads to the other part we forget to remember. “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him”. In our times of waiting for the deepest desires of our hearts we cannot waiver in God. Commit to Him, like you would commit to your significant other in life. Being a follower of Christ means that you are in a relationship and there are sacrifices and compromises you need to make in order to serve that person.

I think about that all the time… If I didn’t serve Jesus, then I would have given something as simple as a kiss to any guy who looked at me (that may be extreme, but just an example). The point is, at the end of the day, choose God. Do everything in your power to do His bidding. Serve Him and trust in Him even if it means you don’t have everything you want in life, because getting what you want isn’t always fulfilling. Trust in God and his timing.

I really do believe that God grants us the desires of our hearts, but in His time, not our own. I also don’t know if we always know what our deepest desires are. I know that I have always wanted to eventually have a husband and a family, but I didn’t know until recently that I also desire to be leader in the church.

If God had granted me a husband now, then he wouldn’t have brought me more joy by discovering pieces of my life ambition and hopes. The thing is, by doing things God’s way, he becomes more glorified in the end. I pray and hope that by pursuing seminary and church work, that God’s kingdom will be further expanded through me. And while right now I may really hope and pray for a significant other, God might think and know that that’s not what is truly in my heart (even though I think it is).

At the end of the day God knows what our true desires are, even if we don’t, and that is a wonderful thing. God’s timing and purpose is superior to all things, and I find my hope and joy in that. So if I continue to be single for forever, then I’m at peace with that. Do I hope that God grants me that desire in my heart, yes. But above all, I really hope that I can trust, commit, and delight in the LORD, for He is good and above all things. Seeing Him as an If-Then God, does no one any good, for it taints our expectations and hopes of who he really is.

So let me say one more time, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”