“There is no greater disaster for the human heart than this — to believe we have found life apart from God.”- John Eldredge
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
In the Spring section of Walking with God, John Eldredge weighs in on life’s longstanding disappointments. First, he describes four reasons for our losses and unmet desires:
- We live in a war zone. Satan and his army steal, kill, and destroy like terrorists.
- We quickly conclude God’s withholding our desire from us. God giving or not giving things to us isn’t the only cause-effect relationship in this world.
- People withhold love and kindness. In the process, they go against God’s command.
- Through our approach to life, we sabotage much of God’s intended joy.
As a result, John observes, we all compile our own running record of things we grudgingly live without. Thus, the author explains, a problem arises when we begin to see things on our list as a need. Hence, Mr. Eldredge writes:
“We start out longing for something, and the more we come to believe this is what we have to have to be happy, the more we obsess about it. The prize just out of reach swells far beyond its actual meaning. It begins to take on mythic proportions. We’re certain life will come together once we achieve it. . . . Everything else in our lives pales in comparison. Even God.”
In conclusion, John states that God uses our disappointments to draw us to Himself- whatever the course. Therefore, we face a choice:
- let disappointments define life
- allow them to take you back to God
Today’s question: Describe the greatest disaster that your heart’s faced. Please share.
Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “The three laws of relationship”
Tomorrow’s blog: “The danger of ignoring our hearts”
