What a great trap it is for a pastor to become comfortable in ministry, with all life’s facilities and assured livelihood. How great the cost when a servant of God does not earnestly wrestle with truth and put it on in life. They can be trapped in accumulating wealth in the form of foundation or church assets, which in the end are inherited by their family. They hoard money for tomorrow on earth, while so much of God’s work today is neglected and should be sustained by us.
Especially for servants of God, we must be brave enough to lose, even to the point of losing our future. Our hearts sometimes shrink when we think about our children’s future. Such thoughts come from the evil one. Believe that our children will also be cared for by God. Those who do not understand the content and purpose of reconciliation are busy composing descriptions of reconciliation in theological systems. They are entangled in doctrine, noisy, and end up attacking one another. Often this even leads to misleading one another. We must no longer live like that. We must learn to accept others. The most important thing is how we change our own character.
We must have space for freedom in the dynamics of life. We learn to respect one another. We hold to the principle that the truth we understand is true, but toward others, we must have tolerance. Tolerance is not compromise. We live in a civilized society, and we long—not only for Christians of different denominations but even for our non-Christian brothers and sisters—to one day enter the world to come. We must be witnesses to anyone. The main thing is not winning doctrinal debates, but having the character of Christ. Our defense of others does not lie in doctrinal stores that make us fight, but in sincere love, a longing for everyone to be saved, and an example of righteous living. We are citizens of heaven. We must carry the dignity of heavenly nobility. Toward everyone, we show God’s gentle character, with a meek and peaceful spirit.
Those who truly live as citizens of heaven will surely have a strong longing to meet the Lord. As Jesus said, He desires to meet us face to face after He has finished preparing a place. He will come again and take us, so that where He is, there we will be with Him.
If, as the bride, we do not long for the bridegroom, that is a sign of unfaithfulness. That was Paul’s fear when he said, “I am afraid that your minds may be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ, just as the serpent deceived Eve.” We must be a holy bride, without defect and blameless. A pure virgin means not defiled by worldly affection and sin. Only then are we worthy to be Christ’s bride, and the Father can be reconciled with us. God will not be reconciled with Christians who do not live as Christ’s faithful bride.
In fact, most Christians have been captured by the world through worldly affection, so they no longer long to return to their heavenly homeland, forgetting their homeland. The pleasures of life on earth bind their hearts. This often happens to those who are successful in their careers, businesses, studies, and families, and who possess many life comforts. Therefore, if God allows us to be in such a state, we must not sink into sin. Indeed, at this point, we can measure ourselves: are we worthy to be reconciled with God or not? The measure is simple—do we truly long to meet the Lord as His bride?
Ironically, those who have many problems—career failures, academic struggles, household difficulties, or physical limitations—are more easily broken-hearted toward the world. And when someone is broken-hearted over the world, they are more readily drawn to God. May this reflection lead many of us to change and truly make peace with God.