Did you know God wants you to pursue advancement, riches, and power?
Did you know that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit in order to guide us into all of the truth of this advancement, riches, and power?
Did you know the Holy Spirit desires to work in you advancement, riches, and power every day?
As beings created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27, 9:6), even in our fallen fleshly state we retain some characteristics patterned in us by His image. Even though the devil loves to corrupt, he cannot create; he can only take the image of God within us and try to twist it according to his purposes.
So, when the world tells us to pursue a job, money, and position, it’s a God-given desire at its core. When you have a yearning for a calling, a desire for possessions, or a longing for a position of influence or authority, that is an expression of the deeply-rooted image of God that He has created within you.
The problems begin when we fulfill these desires in our flesh – in our own way – in a way that serves and advances only ourselves.
Study Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, and notice the three things he prayed:
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.
Ephesians 1:15-19
Here are the three innate goals and desires that God’s kingdom and our flesh (and the world’s system) share:
- Calling
- Riches
- Power
The difference is how we try to achieve these goals. Working our way to the top of a career? Advancing our education to give ourselves the best shot at a high-paying and satisfying job offer? Founding an influential ministry under our name?
Or do we live and move and have our being under the laws of God’s kingdom – His system?
Notice how it’s phrased in Scripture: “…the hope of HIS calling…the riches of the glory of HIS inheritance…the exceeding greatness of HIS power…” It’s as if Paul is saying, “I know you believers desire fulfillment in your calling, riches for yourselves, and positions of influence for your own purposes, and I’m praying that God fulfills those goals in you, only let me whisper the secret of fulfillment: it’s HIM.”
Because the truth is that we will never be fulfilled in our own goals and advancements . . . our flesh is finite, and our achievements and dreams pass away. Even our legacy may well be entirely forgotten in only a few generations. Ultimately, the worldly methods of reaching these goals fall far short of true satisfaction.
Yet God in His love offers us perfect satisfaction even now. As His Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him dwells in us, our eyes are opened to who He is – and we realize that we are in His image. Our innate desires for advancement, riches, and power are merely reflections of His own goals of advancement, riches, and power. As Christ (who is the exact image of the Father, unmarred by any sin – 2 Cor. 4:4) dwells in us and we in Him, He is the image of God restored to perfection within us. God’s goals become our goals. His calling becomes our calling, His riches and inheritance become ours, and His very power by which He raised Christ from the dead, in every facet of its exceeding greatness, becomes our own power.
Knowing God is knowing His calling, riches, and power. Dwelling in God is partaking of this exact calling, riches, and power!
This is true life – life seeking first the Kingdom of God. What is more, the more we abide in the spiritual kingdom and pursue the calling, riches, and power of God, the more He is able to work through our lives in the physical world around us to accomplish His purposes – which are all motivated and directed by sheer, unhampered love for us as His precious possession! Today, let’s together seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall indeed be added unto us.
Leave a Reply