What Is Good News To You?

Living in the tent has forced me to work through many questions that have arisen concerning God. Thankfully, a lot of the issues have been laid to rest and stored safely out of the way. But just when I think I’m beginning to get a handle on some of the mysteries of God I am confronted square in the face with another issue of which I cannot let go…

…If the gospel is truly the “good news” then it would potentially hold truth for each and every living being on the face of the earth at all times. No one would feel excluded or alienated from the good news at any time during any part of the story as it unfolds anywhere on earth. In other words, the Gospel must be true for everyone, at every moment, in every place, or it cannot be the real Gospel. There is imminent danger in adding elements to the truth of the Gospel that make it suddenly unattainable for certain groups of people.

Around this time of year people like to look back over the past year and recount what has come to pass for them. Quite often you will hear Christians equate the “blessings” of God with the wonderful things he either gave to them or allowed them to do throughout the year. But sadly, if we equate God’s blessing with the acquiring of things, or accomplishments we’ve achieved, then it stands to reason that people who have done neither are, by our definition, less blessed. Unfortunately, the sign of God’s blessing in our western church culture is the presence of comfort and success.

Is having a successful and prolific ministry, for instance, necessarily a sign of God’s blessing? Most would tend to say, yes, it is— but they would be wrong. The truth is, success of this kind may be due only to a person’s ability to execute Christian things really well. It’s a fine line, I know.

I think, ultimately, being blessed is the presence of God’s hand on your life—and the presence of his hand doesn’t always appear as a blessing. In fact, in the Word, it looks like quite the opposite. There are many on earth, blessed by God, living lives in direct opposition to our western church comfort culture. You can find some of these folks in Hebrews 11: 36-40—just in case you don’t believe me.

It has taken me many long nights of arguing with God in the tent to realize that true Christianity is not about a life of acquiring things. God is not a god of preferential treatment. He is not a genie. He is not a pathetic god, known only for his favoritism toward the American middle and upper classes. If he were, then he would be a shallow god.

God does not need us to equate his blessings with our cars, houses, ministries, or anything else that can be attained. The Word says that the blessing of God is evident in:

• His presence
• Consolation and peace
• Cultivating places of fruitfulness
• Righteousness
• Mercy
• Eyes that see him
• Identity and birthright

Now all this is good news to me.