There are few books that have gripped me within the first page. But when I read Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore, the second sentence of the introduction really nailed me. “If your main interest in life is health, you may quickly try to overcome the darkness. But if you are looking for meaning, character, and personal substance, you may discover that a dark night has many important gifts for you.” I really had to stop and reevaluate what my ultimate goal was. Health is not a bad goal, but there is much more to life than just health.
The same question can be asked about our ultimate goal for our spiritual life. Is our goal simply to get to heaven? Is that really all there is? Heaven is not a bad goal, but I don’t believe it is our ultimate goal spiritually. The Bible presents salvation and the promise of going to Heaven as the first stage of our spiritual journey. As important as this stage is, there is more. There is an incredible, powerful, and loving God who really wants to have a relationship with me. After all, what good is it to live forever if you don’t enjoy the people you’re with?
Our ultimate goal affects the way we approach God and the Bible. If our goal is simply to get into heaven, then we will search the Bible for a list of entrance requirements. What words do we have to say? What deeds do we have to perform? However, if our ultimate goal is a relationship with God, then everything changes. The Bible is no longer a list of requirements and stories about random people; the Bible is now the story of a God who loves me and desperately wants to be with me. God is not just something to believe in or a concept to know, but a real person who wants a relationship. The things God asks us to do are not entrance requirements for Heaven, but ways to honor and nurture the relationship we have with Him. A relationship requires constant nurture, and the reward is well worth it.
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