Banging on the Door Until It Opens

I couldn’t sleep last night. So I got out of bed. I read a couple articles. A  really good one that I recommend you check out (it’s a long read, so set aside 30 minutes). And then I prayed. I went into the library at like 12:30 and I prayed. I wanted God. I have so many, oh so many unfulfilled desires in my heart, and there’s only one Person who can satisfy them: God.

There’s a pretty famous horror film called The Thing from the 1980s (yes it’s a remake and has been remade since then) starring Kurt Russell. He repeats a pretty famous line near the end when they are preparing to give their lives to finish the task at hand, “We’re not getting out of here alive.” I think a lot of people have that perspective on life in this world. And it’s false to a degree, for those of us who have eternal life in Christ. But the parallel is the complete giving of ourselves. ‘For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’ Matthew 16:25. This is our chance, our opportunity to show God how badly we want him. To fling ourselves at his door, banging over and over until he opens. Just as the widow did on the unjust judge’s door…Jesus’ point being contrast, if even the unjust judge would open the door eventually and grant the widow’s request (Luke 18:1-8), how much more will God open the door for us? In this case it was justice. But Jesus pounds at the door of our heart (Revelation 3:20) to come in and dine with us . Do we do the same? Do we go out to where he is, flinging ourselves at his feet, pouring perfume from our hearts upon his feet and wiping his feet with our hair as the woman who had lived a sinful life died for Jesus (Luke 7:36-50)? Do we adore him, body and soul? Do we? Do we know that he is the only Source for the fulfillment of the desires of our hearts? For what we were truly made for?

John Eldredge in his most recent podcast said this,

“The goal is union…is that our orientation? Do we wake up in the morning to say the first thing I need today is union with God? Are we organizing our day to secure and sustain union with Jesus? Because out of that will flow everything we’ve been hoping for…you can begin to make some pretty simple choices to organize your day and your week where you can tune the world out, you can crucify the flesh, you can shut the enemy down…the truth is this is so important.”

Do we crave this union more than all other things in our days and do we make choices so that we pursue union with him above all other things in our days? How are we really living our lives? After a long day at the office, do we turn to him on the drive home for restoration or do we not? Do we zone and find fulfillment in a tv show or music or even something inherently good like family? Where does Jesus lie on the line of priorities of our heart? These are questions we need to be asking, to be testing ourselves on. 2 Corinthians 13:5,

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?

We need this with God. Union. We can only get it through Jesus, there is no other Way to God than through him. We crave it. The desire comes out in many different fashions, from shopping, to romance, to music, to friendship, but the ultimate fulfillment in in deep intimacy with Jesus. We have to have it.

Because once we are inside, it’s wonderful. We’re one with Jesus.

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