Home Is Where the Heart Is

If home is where the heart is, then mine spans the Atlantic. After four months in London - even though I couldn't master the accent - I was at home on that side of the pond. Being back in New York, I now have two places to call home.

Over the Fall semester, I recall many fantastic adventures in London, delightful travels across Europe, and fantastic British friends who welcomed me. With each goodbye hug, I wondered when I would see these wonderful people again, if ever. When tempted to be sad, I realized I ought to be grateful for the relationships that I had made, which is far preferable to never having the chance to know them. 

While in London and even more so on each trip abroad, I often meditated on this verse: "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73). When the trials came, when I felt that my flesh and heart were failing, I rested on this promise. It also became my prayer, to desire none besides Him, which is far easier said than done. In every way, God abundantly provided for me and answered my prayers. As just one example, I had asked God to provide a community of believers for me, for mutual encouragement, ministry-buddies, and to challenge me in my faith. Within just a couple weeks, He provided the most amazing group of students who became my close friends. And I have countless examples of His provision in very big and very little ways.

As I prepared to leave London, I realized that life in New York won't be quite as fun or enjoyable. Even though I firmly believe that circumstances matter far less than attitude, I know that the pleasures of London are over. I can no longer take the train to Paris in two hours or pop over to Portugal for the weekend. I can't wander through Covent Garden in the afternoon and stroll along the Thames at sunset. I can't stay out past the last tube and take the night bus home. I must move on from the "fun" stage of life. Yet I rejoice because God is good, and His will is perfect. I would rather be in the center of His will than anywhere else in the world. When life is too comfortable, growth is sparse. In tribulations, temptations and trials, we become fully dependent on God. God stretches us in places where we need stretching. He challenges us and gives us the grace and strength to rise to the challenge. We don't grow nearly as much as when times are hard. He doesn't promise happiness; He desires our holiness. Thus, I choose to embrace His plans and seek to ace these tests. Lord, not my will but Yours be done.

Lastly, I learned these lyrics at Christ Church London, and they became recurrent themes/prayers during my past few months:

"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders; 

Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you will call me. 

Take me deeper than my feet would ever wander; 

And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." - Hillsong

"To You our hearts are open; nothing here is hidden. You are our one desire." - Matt Redman

God has been so faithful to lead me and strengthen me, and I have full confidence that my guardian angels worked overtime to guard and protect me. Anywhere outside His will is dangerous and absent of joy. Therefore, I choose to rejoice in His perfect wisdom, rest in His faithfulness, and praise Him for being the all-sufficient Lord. Not my will, but Yours.

Why do you do what you do?

The Creator fashioned humankind with longings for pleasure, possessions, security, and significance. Across time and culture, all humans desire each of these elements. Usually, individuals are motivated more by one specifically, which drives their behavior. The couch potato prefers pleasure, while the Wall Street executive climbs the corporate ladder for significance. What do you seek most?

As God created us with these desires, He also created a path for perfect satisfaction of these desires. Satan seeks to tempt believers to follow unbiblical shortcuts to fulfill these passions. Christians can anticipate negative consequences for disobedience and positive rewards for obedience. This is roughly the same as the way good employers reward overachieving employees with bonuses and perks and terminate underachieving workers, except with God's perfect justice. 

The strongest motivators are negative consequences. All Christians will face the Judge on judgment day: "For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12). Also, "nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4) Scary stuff. We can't avoid it. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (II Corinthians 5) These verses, detailing the judgment that awaits believers, is the basis of the fear of the Lord. It is downright terrifying to know that I must stand before the living God one day. At this time, He will weigh my thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes. Knowing this, I am strongly motivated to live only for Him. One more: "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat" (Romans 14). Will you regret your choices, stammering before the Throne of God?

Besides fear, there are numerous positive motivators. We, as mere humanfolk, can bring pleasure to the Lord of the Universe. The heroes of the faith, including Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, and many others from Hebrews 11, went down in history as men who pleased God. The chapter ends by saying that these are men "of whom the world was not worthy." Sounds like a life motto to me. Not only this, but we can bring glory to God through our actions. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5). I seek to let my light shine so that others see how great God is. The Westminster Catechism claims that man's chief end is to glorify God. Furthermore, there are personal benefits to obedience, which God promises to us. These are the means by which God expects us to satisfy our lifelong desires of pleasure, possessions, security, and significance. "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3).

God promises rewards to those who serve Him. Not only that, we believers are commanded to amass these eternal riches: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6). That sounds like a command from God. Often, people will tell me that seeking to please God to receive rewards is wrong. I challenge them to provide a Biblical case for that argument. The Scriptures are quite clear that believers should seek and expect rewards in heaven. As a perfectly just Lord, He will richly reward us in heaven for our daily self-denial to follow Him. Once again, in Hebrews 11, God says that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Before we can please God, we must believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. These rewards are not only stored up in heaven, but they are often given to faithful believers on earth too. Hopefully this belief encourages you to pursue Him diligently.

James warns believers: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1). Why would James have to say something so obvious? Would anyone choose to deceive themselves? Sadly, they do. Many Christians know what God expects, but that knowledge does not translate into action. So then, why do believers continue to act in sin, even when they know what God requires? It seems clear that they lack motivation. They ignore the long term consequences, in vain hope that they will disappear. Someday, those believers will wish they could undo their decisions, but we live in a world of no takebacks. Don't fall into the trap. Time will soon reveal those who build with wood, hay, and stubble and those who build with gold, silver, and precious metals. What will your work reveal about you? 

For further reading on the positive side of motivation, I recommend I Corinthians 3:10-13, Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 19:1-14, and Malachi 3:10;this sermon: Is Heaven Capitalistic or Communistic?; Randy Alcorn's book Law of Rewards; and the Study Guide to Rewards in the Old and New Testaments.