The God of Solutions is the God in our complications

​Sometimes, I don't think the idea of heaven serves us well. This place of no more complications, no more pain, no more tears. When we think of heaven, we can get to believing that's what life will be like when we finally get to meet God.

No more complications. No more pain. No more tears.

For some of us, that can become the picture we have of God - no more complications, no more pain, no more tears.

I don't think that's an inaccurate picture of God; he is all of those things. But if we aren't careful, we can come to see God as a God of solutions and not the God in our complications. We can miss God in our questions while we're begging him to show up as an answer.

When life gets hard, we can find ourselves impatiently waiting for God to show up instead of celebrating the truth that he is already there.

In Matthew chapter 11:28-30 we read:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We read "come to me" - not "wait for me".

We read "learn from me" in the burden - not trust you'll see my light once the burden is gone.

I believe in heaven. I believe it will be the paradise I like to imagine it will be. But I also believe some measure of the joy I experience there will be tied to the joy I was able to experience in my complications here on earth.

It will be tied to how often I was able to see the God in the problems that I often show up to thank only when the problems are gone. As if burdens are something I tackle on my own; solutions are a heavenly gift from God.

Come to me all who are weary and burdened....

There's an incredible God waiting for us in the complications. Don't miss meeting him there. Don't miss meeting him there while you're waiting to meet him in heaven.