Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

Ada grew up singing songs about the golden streets of heaven and believing that she was earning jewels in a heavenly crown for her good deeds. Eventually, she discovered that just living an ethereal afterlife in heaven or a more prosperous life on earth, wasn’t the reason that God wanted relationship with her.

Jesus said that a passion for righteousness will be satisfied, not a passion for the luxurious throne that we imagine God sits on. Yet many of us fear and misunderstand the path to righteousness. First, we fear – perhaps correctly – that righteousness doesn’t guarantee all the things we want from God, like health, safety, status, or wealth.

The gospel is meant to miraculously transform your life in the present, not be a golden ticket to the future. This transformation leads us to an “others-oriented” focus. Ada began to experience that when she realized that God wanted to transform her to share His love and transformative power with others.

But what if she disappointed God?  Would He reject her, she wondered?

Scripture tells us that Jesus displays “perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life (1 Timothy 1:16).  Romans 2:4 says, “”Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from sin?”

God never, ever abandons us as we grow in transformation.  He patiently helps us learn to reorder our priorities.

 

Resource reading: Micah 6:6-8