Sometimes, I'm not so sure I know the difference. In fact, if I was going to be honest, I'm not sure I know the difference most of the time. I am so used to making the decisions in my life for myself, so accustomed to doing what I want to do my way, when I want to do it, that I am not always clear when I am living my life the way my surroundings tell me to live and when I am living the way God has asked me to live. Honestly, how many of us are really all that conscious of which is which?
I think many of us think about life this way: we want to achieve certain things that we have always wanted to achieve and so we structure our lives to get those things. But so often, we do not critically examine whether those things are really worth getting. And when we get them, it's so strange, because we end up not being satisfied with them. We love our new home--until we begin to want something "bigger, nicer, more conveniently located, in a nicer neighborhood." We love our job, until we hit some snag--a person who is difficult to work with and we have to work with them all the time, a poor supervisor, unmanageable students, grumpy clients/customers, stupid paperwork, poor organization, etc. I could continue, but the point is made. Life lived this way creates a restlessness in us. And then we repeat the approach, hoping to get a different result this time. And instead, we get pretty much the same situation, dressed in different clothes.
Paul, in Ephesians 21-6 (The Message) talks about our being "mired in that old stagnant life," in which we "let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell [us] how to live." And we do. We let the world teach us how to live. And it really doesn't know the first thing about how to do it well. But we go to class all the same, learning from the world about how to live. It's like the line Dave Ramsay uses about taking a shop class from a shop teacher who is missing all their fingers. Why would you do that? And then we wonder why we chase fulfillment and never seem to find it. All the while, there is God, the author of life, available to teach us all we ever wanted to know about living the fulfilled life. And we let him stand in the corner, because we are too busy trying to figure it out for ourselves.
God wants to make us alive . . . in and through Jesus. It is not that there are other ways to find life. There are none. The question we have to answer is this one: do I want to be alive, or do I want to be dead? It's our choice. We can "fill our lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhale disobedience" and death. Or, we can breathe in the breath of life and breathe out God-focused trust that gives life. Which would you prefer? More importantly, what will we do about it? Under the Mercy, PJ
To be alive with Christ on the “narrow road”, or to be dead with the world on the “broad road”…How can we tell where we are at? How do we know the difference? I believe Romans 12 gives us some answers…
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:1-21
I know so many people that are seeking to be in the “will of God”. God tells us what is in His will and what is not, if we would only read His word. It is through His word that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and able to do these things that the world does not do in His power…in His name…these things that the world does not recognize and thinks are down right “weird”. But here is what I believe is the real key…YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! You can read scripture all day, every day but if you don’t actually do anything God’s word says to do you will be no better than all those folks on the “broad road”. Part of that chapter is titled “Love in Action”, with ACTION being the key word. We must act. We must step out in faith, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. We must do something for someone else before doing something for ourselves. We must not do certain things, and in many cases we must do the exact opposite of what the world tells us to do in order to be in God’s will. Like Groeschel said a few weeks back…it takes courage to be that weird.
ReplyDeleteJody and I got to be “weird” tonight. Jody has been looking for two of her cousins for many years. Well a few
few weeks back she thought she had found one of them on Facebook. After making contact with him, she was able to dertermine that it really was one of the cousins she was looking for. So she called him, and through her call to him she found out that both of her cousins she had not seen since just after her uncle’s funeral were not only alive, but they lived not too far away in Nebraska. After confirming everything and making arrangements with one of them to call them tonight, we went to visit Jody’s grandmother Isabelle at Peterson’s Assisted Living. We called her cousin so that Isabelle could talk to her grandson that she had not seen or talked to in over 20 years. The look on her face was priceless as she was talking to him…I have not seen her so happy since we had moved her here and I know that a hole that had been in her heart for many years was finally filled tonight.
Jody was doing all of this for some of her own reasons, but she and I took some time tonight to do something for someone else, her grandmother. We could have easily stayed home and made ourselves busy doing something else, but because of the love she has for her grandmother we took some time to show her grandmother the love of Christ through us…through our actions tonight. Doing God’s will requires action. And it requires courage….the courage to step out in faith and get a little WEIRD.