Did Jesus Make the Wrong Choices?

Have you ever noticed that when things are going well in some one's life we assume that God must be happy with them? If someone has a good job, nice home, lots of stuff, we think that they must be "living right" and that they just make God happy. Lots of religious television personalities will have you believe this. I actually heard a "wise" guy on TV encourage people to put their "seed" on a credit card if they couldn't afford to send cash to his ministry so that they wouldn't miss out on God's blessing in their lives - God save him, but shut his mouth right now.

We assume that if someone is successful they have God's favor and those who are not must be doing something wrong. If you would just do what God wants you to... Follow Him. Honor Him. Worship Him, then you can have the life you've always dreamed of because God is always looking for people to bless! When we seek God and do what He wants then life will be good.

Except if you believe that, you have to say that Jesus was not following God, that He somehow made the wrong decision. In Luke 6 Jesus picks out the 12 Apostles from among His disciples (followers). The text says that He, "prayed to God all night" and when He was done he chose the 12 guys - after getting God's approval. their names were, Peter & Andrew, James & John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (the lesser), Simon (the zealot), Judas the son of James and Judas Iscariot. All 12 hand picked by Jesus after praying ALL night to His Father, God about who should be chosen.

Take a quick look at Jesus choosing ability. Peter denied Jesus publicly at His greatest hour of need. James and John tried to manipulate Him and use Him for their own glory and purpose. Thomas refused to believe Him and Judas betrayed Him. Oh, and they all abandoned Him.

So, if you believe that God blesses those who seek Him so that their lives get better, what are you gonna do with Jesus? Peter? Paul?

If you study the men and women of the Bible who were close to God and followed Jesus wholeheartedly you will find pain, poverty, betrayal, one catastrophe after another (take a look at Paul's life). And yet no one would ever argue that these people were not doing exactly what God wanted them to do.

Doing the will of God WILL NOT always make your life being better, nicer, easier, happier. Did Peter have Nike(TM) sandals? Did Paul wear a designer cloak? Did their lives get better as they followed Jesus or harder?

The fact is you can do exactly what God wants you to do and not have two cents to rub together. But let me ask you this... does it matter? If you're doing what God wants, does it matter that you are well paid or not? Would you keep doing what God wants if you never get a cent for it? Do you follow the Savior and purchaser of your soul because He's going to bless you for it? Or because He paid your price, He saved your life? Father, never let us confuse our standing in life with Your blessing.

Here's the point: Blessings in this life do not prove God is happy with you. God's favor with your life will be determined when you leave this stuff that moth and rust destroy and enter Real Life in eternity. Then we will see who is first on God's list and who is last.

BTW: Jesus did not make the wrong choice. He did exactly what God wanted Him to do and the result was painful. Just like Paul. Just like Peter. Just like so many others who did what God called them to, regardless of the outcome in this world. It's called spiritual maturity.