God doesn’t exist to serve us. We exist to serve Him.
Perhaps that’s why so many of us struggle with God. We don’t really understand the way our relationship was designed to work. We see ourselves more like God’s equals, and see God as a lesser god than He truly is.
What we want, or believe we want, is for God to do what we want Him to do – when we want Him to do it – in the way we believe He should. We want to control Him. We want His power and ability to provide, heal, and create – but we want to dictate what that should look like and be in control of the timeline.
How did we get here? How did we lose sight of who God is? How have we allowed ourselves to become so skewed in our actions and thoughts?
We have grown accustomed to having things “our way.” From food ordered in a restaurant, to custom ordering cars, or homes. Our way is possible. It’s wonderful. It’s available. It’s right.
But that’s wrong.
In our control freak, self-centered, on-demand society, we can see that it is absolutely impossible for everyone to get their way. If I get my way, someone else loses out on theirs! If they get all they want, it can cost me what I wanted. It’s like we are all wearing “self-centered blinders” which prevent us from seeing each other and the world without running it through the filter of “me.” I lose sight of the value of others. I limit the power and truth about who God is. Why? Because I want God to fit me. Meet my needs. Provide my wants. Now.
God’s view of creation is entirely different. God isn’t singling out one person and making the rest of creation bow to their wishes. God sees the entire existence and orchestrates each tiny detail to happen at just the right time, in just the right way. He has had a plan since the beginning of time, and He has known exactly how His plan would be put into action. He has seen each day. Each nation. Each person. Each detail. It is all included in His plan.
God doesn’t exist to serve us. We exist to serve Him. We distort who God really is when we try to make Him become a sort of cosmic Santa Claus.
I was thinking about God as our Father. We have all heard that God is loving. That’s because He is love. As I was processing what this love looks like, I have thought about what love looks like for my own children. I love them. I love them so very much. There are so many things that I want to give them – so many blessings. Truly, I would give my life for them. I love them. And, with that in mind: I don’t give my children all that they ask for. Sometimes when I do give to them, I intentionally don’t give my children what they want right away. Why? I love them enough to build up within them something that doesn’t come just from answering their requests. I desire to build within them character. I desire to raise up healthy children who become healthy and whole adults. Not entitled ones.
Within the walls of a healthy family, we exist to serve one another. It’s true in our homes. It’s true in our church. We are called to serve one another and God. We learn how to serve God and put this concept into practice when we serve one another.
God, however, is not our servant. He is the creator. We are the created. He is the potter. We are the clay. He is the LORD of all. We are His servants.
Instead of expecting or demanding God meet our needs, what if we went to Him daily, seeking to be made aware of ways we can meet the needs of others? There is certainly a lot of need all around us. What if we stopped putting what we want ahead of what God wants for us? We’d be happier. We’d be healthier. We would change our world!
Blessings!