The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, expecting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination or prediction. This, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control.
But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’. 1 Corinthians 2:9
Once we become aware that our attempts at control are killing us, spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally, if not always physically, letting go is the only way to live and find everything that we wanted and sought. Did we not try and gain peace, joy, and love in our misguided efforts to order every aspect of our lives? These were the very things we wanted and set about to acquire through our efforts. If inner peace, unconquerable joy, and soul-refreshing love could be had in this way, surely many would have found it by now. We are chasing after the wind.
Not only do we need to relinquish our attempts to control, we need to let go of our ideas of what peace, joy, and love are. We are not in control of what these are. If we remain intent on receiving from God what we believe and imagine these will be, how will we become participants in what, as Paul says, we have not conceived? Should God give us, and heal us, in ways we were not expecting, we may not even notice what he has done because we were so sure we knew how it would be.
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
Paul goes on to say that the inconceivable gifts that God is giving are revealed by the Spirit of God, for only the Spirit can know the deep things of God. He speaks of these things as having been revealed, not because they have been once for all made known and nothing remains to catch us by surprise, but because he is reflecting on how no one was expecting the cross.
None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8
God dying at the hands of people, without vengeance, wrath, condemnation, or anything but love and forgiveness, was outside everyone’s imagination. If what God has done in Christ is so incomprehensible, extraordinary, and world-altering, should we not expect that all God continues to grant through Christ will be just as unforeseen by human wisdom?
When we let go of our specific conceptions of the good we seek, and ask only for God to grant the good that only he knows, we remain present in the moment and expecting the unexpected. The goodness that God is giving is plentiful in the midst of this pandemic, as it was abundant before this virus infected any humans. The marvels of God’s blessings are ours in Christ no matter what happens regarding the governance of our country, the result that will leave many disappointed whatever limited imagination they held about what would be good.
To live beyond restricted human expectations, the impoverished dreams we are able to dream, happens when we let go and the Spirit sweeps us into more than we could have hoped for. Abandoning our dreams is how better ones shine through.
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