When I was a kid, I received a snow globe from a classmate as a Christmas gift. It had a couple of little figures in it who were ice skating, surrounded by pine trees, with a reindeer watching them. (Yes, I remember the weirdest things.) The cool thing was to shake it and watch the “snow” fall slowly on the scene and imagine what living in the globe would feel like (beside feeling a little cramped…)
Our spiritual enemy wants us to live in a snow globe. Not a literal one, of course, but he wants us to try to carve out a perfect little life here on earth and to make it as comfortable and secure as possible. He does this because he knows we have been hardwired by God to desire this (Read 2 Cor. 5:1-5 for proof).
God has made us with an innate longing to be with him, safe and secure forever. Jesus promises this is going to happen (Rev. 21:3-5) and therefore, it’s a good thing that we long for this. But Satan wants to pervert this holy longing for our future reality and lure us into trying to create our own little “heaven” right here and now. If he can’t keep us from loving Jesus, he’ll work to get us to build a snow globe and to live in it.
But we weren’t made for this and we’ll never be content with our efforts to build a snow globe-no matter how rich or comfortable or successful we become-because Jesus made us from something far greater and better and adventurous. For this season on earth, Jesus is joyfully and courageously calling us to join him as he reveals his love to the world-this is where true fulfillment lies for the Christ follower. It seems counterintuitive, but that’s why Jesus tells us to fix our eyes on him. He’ll lead us to true fulfillment, the most abundant life. It’s not found building a snow globe earth; it comes in living for Jesus’ purposes in the world.
On the adventure with you,
Kirk