From Favoritism to Flourishing- Part 9 of 9: Flourishing: Jeremiah 17:7-8

To end this series on going from Favoritism to Flourishing, we will discuss a verse that has been a strong center point for my life recently. It describes my focus now and lets me go through any season of my life with the right mindset. It is Jeremiah 17:7-8:

7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

         The main idea of this entire series has been to stop judging people based on petty things such as their clothing, social quirks, and other minor details and start looking at them through God's eyes. But, in order to see and act through God's eyes, we need to spend time with Him and be transformed by His work in our lives. This is done through spiritual disciplines. Here, it says that a man is blessed if he trusts in the Lord and places his confidence in Him. This means that we need to stop looking to other people to see if we have enough value yet. We need to stop waiting for social cues to see what we should say or wear next to attract more attention or value. It means that we let God answer those questions for us.
          Here, we see that being a tree planted by the water is similar to this situation. A tree that is planted by the water does not need to wander around looking for food. It doesn't sway when seasons change. It is  nourished where it stands and, therefore, stands firm. It seems like such a small thing, but doing things with God, like Bible reading, scripture memory, praying, being thankful, and serving others are all parts of being this tree by the water. If you stand fast in these disciplines with the right heart, they will carry you through any and every season. This is the place where other people start looking at your life and wondering why you are so full of joy despite great loss or hardship. We, as Christians, can be more fulfilled without anything this world can offer us than any non-Christian (or Christian, for that matter) would be if they could possess everything this world has to offer. In fact, we are promised that we will receive everything we desire. Look to Psalm 37:4

4 Delight yourself in the Lord
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

          This is my life verse, the one I cling on to when it seems like all the odds are stacked against me. Misused by the Health and Wealth heresies, this verse does not mean that we get everything that non-Christians have been seeking with all of their power and strength. Instead, it means that, if we pursue God, He will give us everything that we need to be completely fulfilled and flourishing in every part of our life. This means that I, even as a homeless person or hopelessly sick patient, could be receiving all the desires of my heart. It means that the things that God values, such as people being evangelized, discipled, encouraged, edified, served, and healed, becomes my purpose and will start to see those desires fulfilled as I draw closer to God. See Galatians 6:9-10:

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

          While we still enjoy the material blessings that God has given us (which, by the way, are part of the spiritual discipline of Thanksgiving), we learn to seek and value what God values. This new system gives us something truly worth our time, will pull us out of the endless cycle of ups and downs on the social ladder, and give ourselves true value that will last through every storm and trial.
          I have seen way too many Christians put things like romance, jobs, homes, families, health, or finances above what is truly valuable. I cry out to you: Wake up! See what you have been missing out on. You will wake up in twenty, thirty, or even fifty years trying to satisfy yourself with things that will just leave you empty and lost. This is shown in Jeremiah 2:11-13, where God is talking to the nation of Israel:

11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their[d] Glory
    for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, O heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

         Abandon your social idols and look to the Lord. Look at Matthew 13:44:

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

         It takes sacrifice to find what has value. You have to take a risk. You need to be willing for other people to look down on and gossip about you; you need to be willing to be lower on the totem pole in social interactions; it means that you will not always find the material blessings that you are looking for. But the price is worth it. It always has been. Always will be.