Mike Novotny - God's Way vs. The World's Way
Next question. I'm watching people at my stage of life get engaged, move in together, get married, etc. in jumbled up orders. How can I keep my standards high and be patient when I really want the relationships I see everyone else having? Whoever asked that, thank you. That's a really good and honest question. You ever seen someone who doesn't necessarily do things God's way and they seem to be really happy? Which is kind of frustrating. Because you're trying to do the right thing and there's no immediate reward? My short answer to the question is this: That no matter how frustrating or inferior your life seems right now, on the scale of eternity, your life is like this. And eternity lasts forever.
And people who want to do things apart from God's way, you know, they'll get their little bit of happiness but it lasts about this long. That's how sin works. But if you are doing what's right in the eyes of God, he will applaud and affirm your decision forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever.
One of my two favorite chapters in the entire Bible is from Psalm 73. Oh man, that's not good! Pages are falling out of my Bible. Yeah, Psalm 73, there's a guy named Aseph who actually went through this same thing. He's talking about verse 3. He says, "I envy the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They're free from the burdens common to man; they're not plagued by human ills".
So he sees people like doing things not God's way and he's like envious of it but then here's his conclusion at the end of Psalm 73. He says, "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you, God. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever".
Here's what I would say to you: There are people who can move in and sleep around and do sex and relationships their way but they only get a person or momentary pleasure. If you're a Christian, you have God. God! And if the Holy Spirit starts to open your eyes that God is infinitely better than any human person, you will realize that those people should be jealous of you. Because if you're following Jesus, you have God now and for an eternity to come. So my prayer for you would be remember how good God is and remember how long eternity lasts. That's the end note for every bit of envy and jealousy that we might feel.