One of the thoughts that has been running through my head over and over again these past few months is the depth of good I have in God apart from all else. It is of course, as most biblical assurances are, easy to say but difficult to believe.
If all my greatest career-related dreams came true and I had all the money I ever wanted, at last becoming the great man of success that my dad always wanted me to be, and then was suddenly robbed of all I had and spent the rest of my life on the streets, would I still consider myself wealthy because of my imperishable inheritance in the Lord?
I love my family deeply. I have thousands of memories with them that make me smile and laugh and feel warm inside. How about if I had to choose between having God or having my mom, dad and my dear brother Jon? would I choose God? Would I choose him begrudgingly? Or would I consider myself richly blessed even without my family, as long as I had Him?
What about if I married the love of my life and after exchanging vows, with the strong and joyful realization that I was going to spend the rest of my life together with her, watched as she suddenly collapsed and died, would I consider myself to be more than fulfilled because even without her, God is mine and I am His?
I ask myself these questions, and I keep trying to evaluate whether the Lord is really more than enough for me. Do I really see Him as overabundant? Do I really perceive my cup to be overflowing? These are tough questions to ask for me, and even tougher to affirm. I realize again and again, as I so often do during times of trial, that counting everything as loss is hard. Whatever it is I consider precious, God is able to take away. But if He does it, it is so that I might understand what it means for the Lord to be “the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” And when I understand it rightly, I think it will be worth the loss because I will have finally gained Him truly.
“O Lord, if this were lost instead,
And all I had was you, I would
Be rich, and have the greatest Good.”-excerpt from “The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God” by John Piper
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