Things God Doesn’t Care About

Things God doesn’t care about:

My physical and emotional comfort

My schedule

My preference for predictability

My need to know

My concern for what others think of me

My expectations

My fear of anything

My mood

My desire for an easy life (or week or day)

My sense of personal fulfillment in the exercise of my spiritual gifts

My sense of safety

My desired economic level

My ratio of failures to successes

My craving of the moment

My timing

What God does care about:

My eternal soul

My love for Him

My love for others

My love for others’ eternal souls

My obedience

My heart’s desire

My part in His plan for expanding His kingdom on earth

My joy

My freedom in Christ

My progress toward a Christ-like character

My trust in Him

My attitude

My spiritual needs

My spiritual safety

My faithfulness to Him and His to me

My son did not take naturally to bike riding. That boy was as cautious as the day is long and cherished his training wheels like a cat cherishes his tail.

He was more than ready to ride without them so, one day, I took him to an old airstrip by our home and pushed the issue by removing the training wheels from his bike. After several false starts – him putting his feet to the ground at the slightest wobble and me, encouraging him in increasingly agitated tones – Zack turned to me and yelled, “It’s like you don’t even care if I get hurt. It’s like you’re not being a very great mom right now and you almost want to see me fall!”

I responded (never mind the tone), “I don’t! The amount of hurt you can take from a fall from that bike is just not a big deal compared to the joy you’re going to get out of riding. In fact, it’s almost required that you experience some amount of pain in order to do this. So, just do it, already!”

He grabbed his bike and shoved off. Immediately, he crashed to the pavement, got up, glared at me, and shouted, “There, are you happy?”

“Kind of.” I answered.

Then, angrily, he hopped on, pushed off again and rode away as if he’d been cycling for years. Passing me, he yelled, “Look, Mom! I’m doing it! I’m riding! Do you see this?!”

At precisely that moment, indelible in my memory, I understood my own heavenly Father’s frustration with my fear of falling, my penchant for clinging to my training wheels and my demands that He take my fear of pain and discomfort into consideration in planning my days.

Paul tells us this in Romans 8:14-18: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Are you feeling that God doesn’t care? There are things He doesn’t care about but you are not one of them. He loves you with the perfect love of a perfect father.

Are you challenged, stretched, uncomfortable, unable to see further down the path than the glow of a candle? He is treating you as a loved child, acting on your behalf to pry your fingers from what you do not need so you can experience the joy of succeeding on a whole other plane.

So, it is true. Sometimes God just doesn’t care.

But that’s because He has his priorities straight. Do you?