Pity Parties

Scripture: "but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first" Mark 10:30-32 NASU

Observation: God does not allow our sacrifices to go unnoticed. In fact he repays them above and beyond what we lost. But there is a catch. It does not come for free and it often does not follow our logic.

Application: Pity parties are easy to come by. There are so many times that I just sit around and wonder what God is up to. I will replay the decisions that I made and the thought processes that led to them and I draw a blank. From what I can tell, I made every effort that I knew of to seek God and make a wise choice. Yet, the results are not what I expected. Then I run across a scripture such as this one and I am reminded of an important fact. This is not my home. This is not my land of promise. This is a fallen world and I serve a God who is hated by it. As a result, I will experience persecution. Godly decisions almost always find the accompaniment of persecution. My time here is just a journey of transition. During this transition, things will often feel as if they are backwards. But the end result will be perfected in God's heavenly kingdom. God rewards His followers. I get some of the reward now, but the bulk of it will be in the life to come. Why is it that I do not think of heaven? If it were a guaranteed vacation that I knew I was getting, I would think about it everyday. I would prepare for it. I would count the days and my anticipation would grow. I would live everyday in expectation that it would be coming to me soon. How much more should I dwell and think towards heaven with the same sense of optimism and anticipation?

Prayer: Instead of expressing gratitude for the eternity that you have set before me, I often sit and whine about the problems I face. Your word continually reminds me that persecution will come. I do not understand why I get so frustrated or act shocked at it when it happens. I pray that You teach me to have realistic expectations for what this life has to offer and to set my heart and soul on the life that is to come. Heaven is my ultimate home. This earthly one is just passing by. Focus my attention on Your purpose for me while I am here. Speak clearly to me and keep me on the path that You desire for me. I know that this path will bring some blessing now, but it will also bring struggles that will help me grow and add to the kingdom that is to come in the next age. I regret the things that I have placed before Your design for my eternal blessing and confess to You the many times that I have placed earthly things before You. You are amazing. I long to be wholly satisfied by Your promise for a permanent home. Give me the vision for it I so desperately need.