What God Cares About

 As I blogged about last April in  A New Prayer Journey, Jon and I have been praying together each night according to a theme.  The other day the topic was regarding finances.  We were praying for some individuals approaching retirement age, but not necessarily approaching financial stability in order to allow retirement.  Logically, we prayed that their financial situation would change soon so they could retire.  We prayed that their retirement would support their current state of living- which is very comfortable.  Even as I prayed, it struck me that God did not care.

Did that statement just give you a sour feeling?  Perhaps you have not considered that there are things that God does not care about.  Our prayers tend to be routed around what we care about- the people we care about, the causes we care about, our health, our well-being, our comfort, our fears, our career, our family.  But what does God care about?  I generally think that God has a loving interest for our concerns.  I admit it is a very bold thing to claim to know what God cares about, so let me word it this way: Do you honestly think that God is concerned about maintaining the comfortable lifestyle of an individual who does not know the comforts of Christ?

My answer is no.  I can not believe that God is concerned about an individual's retirement, when their eternity package isn't looking so bright.  Without doubt, there is one thing God cares about and that is where you are spending eternity.  That is where all of His focused efforts are directed.  Answered prayers, miracles, humbling moments, healings and heartaches are all just opportunities for Him to get us there and help us to get others there too.

Certainly God can use the worries of this world to direct our attention to Him.  And He does.  But I think we often allow the worries of this world to distract us from Him.  We pray for financial security, good health, happiness, love interests, good grades, job interviews, comfort for the grieving, and healthy babies for the unsaved, without stopping to pray for their salvation.  I am not saying that God is not concerned with the well-being of the lost, but that His primary concern is their salvation, and we should mirror that concern.  Let's not forget that these situations are often what God uses to lead them to Christ.  So if we pray for good health for our loved one, and fail to see that granted, perhaps we are failing to see the greater work that God has in this person.

Jesus could not go anywhere without a barrage of people clamoring for help, and when He offered it, He did not ignore their greater need.  "Go and sin no more!" He would often say after healing.  And He would preface many miracles by saying, "So that you might believe..."  The miracle was simply an avenue to salvation, but not Christ's primary concern.  When you are praying for others, what is your primary desire for that person?  I am suggesting that our prayer should be that whatever the circumstance, God would use it to His Glory that His Name might be made known.

In the Book of John, shortly after Jesus miraculously feeds the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish, He addresses the crowd that had followed Him to another city.  John 6:26-27, "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.  On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.'"  Jesus was warning the crowd that they were coming to get their stomachs filled, but they were not seeking spiritual food.

We are surrounded by the spiritually starving.  Christ is the only Bread that will satisfy.  If we pray only for their worldly needs, they will be no more closer to Him when they have those needs met.  They might just be a happy, healthy, comfortable guy heading for hell.