God Supreme

In my time on earth thus far I learned that people have desires that fall under a few general categories. The categories are fame, fortune, power, and control. I have meditated on these desires for some time yet have found that none of them bring the lasting fulfillment that one might assume would come with them. There is a great cost to attaining any or all of these things. From what I have gathered, the benefits do not outweigh the costs. For instance, to have fame precludes one from having privacy. To lack privacy would assert that one would fall under heavy scrutiny, and life would feel like you are constantly being monitored. This intrusiveness would keep a person from having any moment to simply ground and be still with their thoughts. It would be a maddening experience. It would appear to put a person in a constant state of hypervigilance and awareness of their surroundings. Their personal space is often invaded, and it attracts many fake friends and often fake intimate relationships. This is no way to live a satisfying life. Instead of fulfilling a fleshly desire for fame, perhaps a life where one feels a sense of belonging, experiencing a life with people who edify, encourage, and acknowledge their thoughts and perspectives would be a sufficient alternative. What need for fame would a person have if these parts of themselves were acknowledged? This is not to say that being famous for all individuals is bad or that it could not be fulfilling a person’s destiny to impact the world in some momentous way.  For some, I would think fame was never a desire but to make an impact was and this led them down the path of fame. Yet it would seem that an encounter with God through those positive interactions with those who surround you would be more fulfilling. I have grappled mostly with this desire because it challenges one of the biggest values in my life, and that is the value of solitude. If I were to take a wild guess at some of the things that Jesus also had a high value for, certainly, the value of solitude would make his top five. How often do you see in scripture Jesus takes a trip away from others? He preaches and performs miracles, and teaches the masses, yet He is the first to walk away into the mountains, into gardens, and away from people to be in the peaceful presence of God. While fame was not his end goal, it was a part of His destiny. It is through His fame fulfilled God’s promises and the glory of God was known for all the world to see!  

The next is to have fortune, and while it would seem to have the benefits of being able to buy whatever a person wants when they want, it could never take the place of the novelty of enjoying the simple things in life. Have you ever met a man who wears a simple T-shirt and jeans yet has a lot of money? I have, and it is as though psychologically even the richest of men know that their needs and desires are simpler than one might think and living simply draws attention away from those that it would attract the influx of people who would try to take or steal from them. It is not always the case, but an overabundance of money has also led many people down a path to addiction, greed, pride, and destruction. It becomes this endless desire to acquire more, creates a false sense of superiority to those who have less, and opens the door for many that they no longer need God. While having money does not automatically make a person evil, as there are plenty of people in this world who have worked tirelessly to provide a legacy for their families while keeping values and virtues front and center, those who lose sight of what is most important and do not yield to God open themselves up vulnerably to the former. In scripture, we see so often how money is not a concern for God. He is the Creator of the sun, the moon, and the stars. It says in Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, money is not an issue for God. Tell him what you need, and he will provide. I will never forget several years ago I was financially strapped. My credit card debt was growing, and my anxiety was too. So, one night, I cried out to God. I shared with Him that I was going to be three hundred dollars short on my payments that month and I needed Him to make a way for me to make my payments on time that month to avoid additional penalty fees. The next day I received a phone call from someone who asked me if I could help their friend who was overwhelmed with her new start-up company. He told me she would need me for a few hours on the weekend and that was it. So, without hesitation, I offered to help. When I left, she thanked me for my help and gave me some of her products for free. That night I was back in my bed thanking God for the free lotion, but I thought my prayer might have gotten lost in translation. It was not my skin that was drying up but my finances. I asked Him again, how was I going to pay these bills? No more than five minutes later, the woman sent me an unexpected Venmo for three hundred dollars as an extra thank you for assisting her. I laughed so hard that turned to weeping as I humbly thanked God for His goodness. He gives abundantly more than we could ask for, not only did I pay my bills, but I also received free organic lavender lotion to calm my nerves and hydrate my skin. He really was speaking to me to chill out. It was one of those moments in my faith walk that I realized this scripture does apply to us and it does come to life when we submit ourselves to Him. God simply asks that we come to Him with our cares and concerns, and He will provide for us!

Lastly, power and control seem to go hand and hand. To be powerful gives a person a false sense of control. I would liken those who have an affinity for power and control to someone who has an affinity for playing with fire. If power and control are not handled with caution and sobriety of mind a person will find themselves burned to a crisp and often devasting the lives of those around them. A person in a position of power and control, again, does not make them intrinsically a bad person. It is a part of some individual’s life journey to be in positions of influence where they must make decisions and execute plans where power and control reside. It becomes a danger when the person is not first submitted to knowing that they report to a higher cause (God) and that their decisions impact those that serve under them (God’s creation). We see time and time again in scripture that there are those in seats of power and control who do good in the sight of the Lord and reap riches and rewards on earth and those who turn away from God and reap death and destruction in their lives and the lives who submit to their leadership. God’s sovereignty is a primary theme throughout the Bible. He has the true supreme power and control over all things on the earth. Those who yield to Him will hear Him in the stillness and move under his prompting. Ephesians 1:11 states, “Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.” In this way, regardless of these desires, God knew who you were before you were born. He placed in each of us a purpose that through our free will, we can choose to fulfill.

While fame, fortune, power, and control are enticing, perhaps God has placed in our hearts something different that we are misconstruing as desires for the things of this world. Perhaps it is in his kindness and mercy many of us are spared the burden of obtaining the things that feed our flesh, and instead, God instills in us a burning desire to know Him and love Him above all else. That we might, above all else, feed our souls the nourishment of His presence and the goodness of a simple and quiet life. I know as I walk out my faith, as imperfect and flawed as it is, living out the destiny God has called me to is one that emulates parts of His most perfect and holy son. My prayer is that in doing the small things in my daily life with great love and in pursuing God in all ways I might obtain a different kind of fame, fortune, power, and control. The fame of God’s goodness outshining my existence, the fortune of meeting and loving others despite what I gain, and the ability to surrender to self-control, a fruit of the spirit few harnesses; so that my life is a life that espouses a spirit of piety and humility to the Father. I yield to a quiet life of prayer, intercession, and heavenly counsel, filled with compassionate mercy for others, and joy amid great suffering that my God might delight in me as His daughter. It sounds far more fulfilling and desirable than ever obtaining the things of this world. My prayer for you is that you too will fulfill the purpose God has for your life and that you will do so with humility and softness in your heart and sensitivity to His voice as He beckons you to the secret place with Him. Amen.