I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. … Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.
Revelation 1:10, 12-13
Dear members and friends,
One misunderstanding that many people seem to have is that God or Creator might have a special purpose or plan for certain individuals. Many people may also assume that they are such an individual. The consequent false expectation, then, is to think, “The only thing that I should do is meet God and hear my calling.” This false expectation might give birth to another false expectation, “After hearing the calling, everything will become clear, and my life will become fulfilling and joyful.” This is a misunderstanding for two reasons: one, to God all individuals on Earth are exactly the same, thus no one is more special than others; two, the purpose of one’s life should be chosen by each individual for the joy and delight of one’s own heart. If the purpose of one’s life is predetermined by God, then would that person truly be free? Thus, having such false expectations could not only cause deep disappointment, but also trigger strong resentment against God, even life itself.
Does this mean that there is no such a thing as divine mandate for us? In my experience, the answer is quite contrary. The truth that I have been feeling is that instead of giving a singular mandate for each person, God provides multiple potential mandates for each person, which are often the most proper and appropriate ways of living for the individual. However, our problem is that we often find joy and delight in our physical, corporeal reality rather than the spiritual realm as God mandates. In a way, the ultimate choice that we are making at any given moment is making a choice between pleasures of physical and worldly origins and delights of evolving ourselves into a spiritual being.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us take a moment of meditation this week. When all things become calm and quiet, let us look into our hearts and see what kind of delight is at the center of it. With the blessing of God, may we all choose the delight from heaven.
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee