Do You Ever Wonder?
by Michael A. Asher
When we begin our lives, everything we experience is a discovery, a curiosity, a true wonder to our senses. Our minds soak up all the new sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, and the feel of touch. Colors are brilliantly alive, our hearts are pure, and imagination is the engine that drives us. We explore the world we have entered into with sheer delight, with boundless joy, with unbridled excitement, and with reckless abandon! We begin innocent, fearless, trusting, loving, unselfish, and uninhibited as we embrace this amazing thing called life.
God brings us into this world a created miracle. We learn to connect, to enjoy, to feel, to relate, to laugh, to care, to appreciate, and to love. We learn about everything at the most rapid rate of our entire lives. From there we develop, we grow, we search, we seek, we strive, we accomplish, we fail, we compare, we experiment, we succeed, we disappoint, we make mistakes, we second guess, and we just simply live the life we have.
We learn right from wrong, who we can count on, what is expected of us, and the people and things worth believing in. We struggle through change; and expectations; and immaturity; and differences; and prejudice; and pain; and loss; and unfortunate events; and conflicting opinions and values.
Whatever Happened to Wonder?
Life grows more and more complex and we start to feel the wonder of it all becoming distant from us, overwhelmed by the pressure and stress of the tasks and responsibilities that seem to have no end. The enthusiasm for life and the appreciation for the magic of everything slowly fades away with the challenges of living. Instead of making the most out of life, we often try to just make it through.
Do you ever wonder why this happens to us?
Sometimes we become consumed by the cares and concerns of this world, which strips us of our peace of mind and burdens us with worry. This can spiritually drain us and distract us from fervently seeking the Lord. Difficult circumstances can prevent us from serving those around us. In times like these, our soul needs to REFRESH; to RENEW; and to REPLENISH! For believers in Christ, our main source to rediscover our enthusiasm for life and for refreshing our souls for the spiritual battles we face can be found in the Word of God. Another great way to revitalize our Christian walk is to restore fellowship with other believers and reconnect by sharing the good news of the gospel with the world. We unite in the truth that binds us all together!
Choosing His Way or Our Way
Throughout all of his marvelous creation, from the smallest particle of the atom to the vastness of the universe, God reveals definitive evidence of his existence, that he is exactly who his Word says he is, and that his promises can be relied upon. Unfortunately, at times, we can lose touch with the most important relationship we will ever have, relationship with the God who created us. God loves each of us more than we can comprehend, flaws and all. God himself is love. He created each of us with love so that he could love us, we could love him, and we could also love one another. He created us with free will to choose his way, our own way, or the ways that others show us.
If we choose our own course, God lets us go, but in doing so, we sometimes lose our way. While our choices and the inevitable consequences we face are no surprise to him, he hopes that through the realization that living apart from God has a very high price, we will return to the one who truly knows what is best for us. God uses the lessons learned while drifting apart from him to fortify our faith and to teach us to rely upon him at all times. When we reconnect with our Lord, we are reunited with deeper faith and more resolve to carry on.
And God wants us to approach him with the childlike innocence that we began life with. Jesus said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” (Matthew 19:14, NLT); and “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15, NLT).
Rediscovering the Wonder of It All
God’s Word promises us that we reap what we sow in this life. Too often we ignore this simple truth. If we allow the world system to overwhelm our thinking, we can lose our direction and fall away into sin. We forget that God alone is our refuge and strength. When that happens, we must stop, reflect on God’s Word, and call out the things that are distracting our walk with God. It’s time to refocus, and look upon the God who created you with the awesome wonder he deserves. View the incredible, created world we live in as a limitless mission field to lead others to the truth that is Christ Jesus.
If you find yourself missing the view of life through the special, magical prism of wonder, I encourage you to turn back to the one who created you in the first place. When you do, even though there will still be challenges and moments of struggle—especially in this current season of life—you will have the Lord to walk with you, instruct you, comfort and carry you, and lead you every step of the way until you eventually join him in his eternal home. Additionally, you have a community of believers who are facing their own challenges, who are willing to stand with you and help you through just as you can help them.
Take a few minutes today to relax, breathe, and rest in God’s presence as you identify the distractions in your spiritual life and commit to refocus on your relationship with him.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NIV).
Michael A. Asher is a financial controller who has nourished a lifelong love of the Bible by sharing God’s Word through creative writing.