It's been a while, so I'll jump right into it.
You know what we ignore so often? Our own immortality as followers of Christ. Yes, we know we will be with Him forever, and that gives us happiness and joy, but I don't think we let it flow through us to the degree it should.
Brian Wardach, one of my best friends, recently made a half-joking observation that he could not wait for the resurrection and the new, perfect bodies we will inhabit and enjoy there, due to problems he sees with his earthly one. I'd like to add my voice to that chorus and admit some things in a very public forum.
I don't like my body. It's for a very poor reason; 95% of it is fairly good, if you ignore the paleness of my skin and tendency to burn (I do). It's not a bad body at all. But that 5% is my greatest struggle in life - acne. Now, before anyone jumps up to tell me anything, I am not looking for, - and most certainly do not want - people to comment on this. I seek no compliments or positive reinforcement. I am fully aware of the minor nature of this problem, especially for me. And yet, as infinitesimal as it is, it claims a significant portion of my thinking and worrying time. A new zit, any time, in any form, and I become immensely frustrated. Disproportionately so. It causes me to take vitamins, to avoid certain foods and drinks, and to, in some cases, seek warmer lighting. This is difficult for me to admit, especially because I know this post will go to Facebook and Twitter as soon as I publish it and, as a man, I am not supposed to be this vain, this concerned with physical appearance. In spite of this, I write this not as a confession; but as a signpost.
The time I, Brian, and countless others (probably the whole human race, if we are honest) spend worried and frustrated about our temporal bodies betrays something far deeper than vanity. It betrays a deep-seated mistrust of God Himself and His promises to us. It means we don't believe we will be perfected, resurrected with new, perfect, glorified bodies like Christ (1 Corinthians 15:40-44). It means we don't believe we will rest in God and His power and glory in eternity (Revelation 14:13). It means we would rather focus on now and its imperfections more than the perfection of the new heavens and new earth - our eternal home. It means we are so caught up in ourselves and what we perceive to be wrong, and believe those problems to be so impossible to correct, that we do not believe God can fix them.
I know my imperfections have been a thorn in the flesh, a guiding light to lead me continuously and constantly to Christ (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). I believe all of our problems, all of the imperfections and terrible circumstances in our lives exist so that we might receive more of Christ than we could otherwise. In my thoughts, I echo Paul - when I am weakest, He is strongest and shines through me brightest.
I thank God for my imperfections and struggles, because they remind me of two things - He is God and I am not, and He will one day renew all things, perfect all things, and bring all things to their best state. Maybe this means all my physical imperfections will be gone. Maybe this means they will remain, but I will see them as the perfect reminder of Christ in my life that they are. Either way, I praise God for His sovereignty over the good and bad of my life, the flowers and thorns. I praise Him because all roads for me, whether in happiness or frustration, lead to flourishing in Him.
Noah
