Myles Munroe, in his excellent book Understanding Your Place in God’s Kingdom: Your Original Purpose for Existence, states, “God’s number-one priority for mankind is that we discover, understand, and enter the Kingdom of God”(e-page 3272 of 4563 – Day 2 of Devotion section). This would sound like a simplistic statement at first glance, and yet the doing of it, the living of it, the walking in it, in truth takes a major reorientation to one’s view of life. Much of our culture, education, and many churches tout a worldly view of life, of right and wrong, sadly missing the mark of God’s design and intent. Rather than coming to know God personally, the world and religion frequently focus on humanistic endeavors instead of growing a relationship with God Himself.
In the Day 3 portion of the Devotional section, Pastor Munroe asks, “Why is it true that ‘all of us are seeking the Kingdom even if we all don’t realize it?’” No wonder the efforts to bring peace, right wrongs, uplift the poor, heal the ill, nurture our young . . . the list goes on and on of good overcoming evil in our world, and our desire for good to win. It is as though a built-in GPS is part of our DNA, orienting us toward home, if we would pay attention! Better yet, a “GSV” – God-shaped vacuum – that resides in each of us. Because we are His workmanship, He claims us as His own, and has given us a deep desire to dwell with Him again. He has breathed life into each of us. He is our Abba, Father, we are related. And made, therefore, for relationship!
In my experience the more the world’s effects are stripped away from our souls, the more we might hear God’s call, loud and clear . . . and come to know the Creator of All. How ever can I become real without recognizing the truth of who I really am? Should I listen to the world’s criteria for acceptance and success, or realize that when God says all our needs will be met by Him, He speaks truth? Of course, God is not a vending machine who spits out whatever we demand whenever! No, He is the best Father and knows how to guide us to maturity. And as with any parent’s experience with their “very human” children, relationship and learning, growth and maturity come more quickly when the child is willing to follow!
Whenever I think of “becoming real” my mind automatically links to that beloved story, The Velveteen Rabbit, and the wise old Skin Horse who has been loved so well most of his hair has been rubbed off. It seems life has a way of wearing places in our facades, revealing the underbelly of our disguises, uncloaking us to ourselves and to the world of who we really are. With God, Love Himself, to make us real, the process becomes so worth it, for being fully real . . . whole and complete . . . is, in truth, the deepest desire of our hearts.
Dew Upon The Arbor 