What God Wants

As I was reading this week, I came across this quote by D.A. Carson:

God is more interested in our holiness than in our comfort. He more greatly delights in the integrity and purity of his church than in the material well-being of its members. He shows himself more clearly to men and women who enjoy him and obey him than to men and women whose horizons revolve around good jobs, nice houses, and reasonable health. He is far more committed to building a corporate “temple’ in which his Spirit dwells than he is in preserving our reputations.

When I first read this quote my I said amen because I had already been familiar with the quote, "God is more concerned about our holiness then our happiness."  But then as I thought through the quote it began to make me nervous.  Do I really want God to do what it takes to make me holy.  If God is more concerned about my holiness then my comfort, then would it mean that sometimes God would take away my comfort in order to make me more holy?  As I thought about the answer to that question, I really did not like what I was thinking.  It was scary, yes God sometimes God uses very uncomfortable circumstances to try us and make us holy.  James 1:2-4 says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

But James says this should lead to joy not fear.  How do I that?  The answer is simple, I have to live for what God wants not for what I want.  The good news is that what I want can bring me joy for the moment, but what what God wants is to give me joy that lasts for eternity.  So keep your eyes on not on what is seen but what is unseen, for what is seen is temorary, but what is unseen is eternal.  Think about it