The Big Picture

25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

These words come from the book of Job, the 19th chapter. If you haven't read the book, you might still have heard the phrase, "the patience of Job," or some similar reference. You might even know some of the story, which basically boils down to a man, Job, experiencing horrible, horrible things in his life - both physically and emotionally - and having conversations with God and with his quote, end-quote "friends." These friends turned out to be quite less than friends and even Job's wife encourages him to turn his back on God. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, however, Job speaks these words, "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth."

You might have experienced some horrible things of your own or, perhaps, are in the middle of a difficult time now. The loss of a child, the collapse of a family, the end of a job, an accident... These things are difficult to handle. They are moments in which people frequently ask, "Why, God?" Which is exactly what Job did. He couldn't figure out the point of all of his struggle and pain and torment. I'm guessing that we are often in the same situation, not being able to understand the difficulties at hand.

I was reminded by a wise person today that there is a bigger picture in this life. There are many ways to respond to difficult - or even positive - situations. I hope I am not alone when I say that I am somewhat 'myopic' when it comes to my life: I see things as they affect me. While this tends to be natural, it's not exactly good. If all of us were to go around thinking only about ourselves, what would come of the world? A lot of conflict, pain, and suffering, for certain.

The Truth of life is that it is NOT all about ourselves. God's greatest commandments are for us to love God with our entire being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The wise person who reminded me of the bigger picture said that it was God for whom we live. It is true - God should definitely take precedence. What that looks like can vary from person to person, but the whole point of our lives is to walk in communion with God.

Furthermore, God has put on our hearts and in our minds a calling which is connected to our very essence. Our goal in life is to seek and fulfill this calling - not on our own terms, but as God would have us. Sometimes that looks like a very joyful experience and sometimes it is more of a struggle. It requires self-sacrifice and frequent 'check-ins' with God to make sure we are walking down the path laid out for us. The prize? As Job said, "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth," and, "I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"

That end part, about the redeemer standing on the earth, is also part of the goal. What are we being called to do in our daily lives, while in communion with God, to bring the redeemer's presence here on earth? Ultimately, the redeemer Himself will come; in the meantime, God's Spirit works through us. It is our job to allow that to happen. Sometimes that looks like taking a big step out on faith, sometimes it's more of a quiet, steady consistency of faith. Either way, we've been given gifts and a calling and - with God - are equipped to do great things on this earth.

Tune your ears to hear the voice of God. Keep your eyes on the end goal. Walk the path you are called to. In doing this, you will be who you were created to be. You can start from right where you are! There is a path for you right now, no matter your situation. God go with you on your journey!