Much of it has to do with our fallen nature. In our continual craving to worship the created order (Rom. 1)--or rather, the created things that we pretend to order--we turn our future into an altar to ourselves. We spare no expense or present cost, that our future might be ordered by our hands as we so desire. Yet we continually find that our future, as all other things, seems to take on a shape that we had not intended. As tight as we try to take hold of it, it continually eludes our grasp. We cannot control it.
We not only are unable to take ahold of our future, but we are unable to know our future. This knowledge of our lack of knowledge brings our feeble reason to its knees. No amount of education ascertained or natural intelligence can steady us for our future. As the wise King Solomon continually notes in Ecclesiastes, the realities of the world often negate those efforts we make to control our lives--labor, indulgence, knowledge, etc. Sometimes the dumb and lazy become rulers while the witty and diligent become subjects. Our mind cannot sort this reality out, so we cry with Solomon that life is ultimately meaningless, or vanity.
But we hope. As Christians, we hope. We find that true knowledge is that which accepts our limited knowledge. True control acknowledges that we're not in control. For the nonbeliever, that thought brings terror and worry and the ensuing accumulation of wealth becomes but a buffer between man and reality. For the Christian, however, that thought turns worry into worship. Worry works...into worship. We do not tremble before the unknown, but tremble before the God we know--the God who speaks through His Word.
Thus, we carry in our hearts two truths that give us hope per Hebrews 12:2...
Christ is the Author of our faith...
and the Perfecter.
What He has started, He will finish. If He gave us faith, He will refine us, and in that last day, perfect us.
No comments:
Post a Comment