We live in a world that is constantly bombarding us with the message that our lives should be focused on our own happiness and pleasure. This message streams from every commercial we are exposed to...in an effort to induce us to buy whatever product is being featured. We are all impacted by that message, no matter how hard we try to ignore it. For us as Christians, we may seek to avoid overt materialism, or we may unwittingly fall prey to it. But even if we are somewhat successful is putting off materialism, we still subtly begin to get the idea that God's plan should revolve around us and our happiness. As we seek to work out God's will for our lives, we usually begin with the assumption that God wants us happy, healthy and successful. It's not that God doesn't want those things for us, rather, it's just not His number one priority. This means that there may be seasons of our life during which blessings pour forth, but we may also experience seasons of difficulties and trials.
During those trials, it is critical to reflect on what God's priorities are for us. James gives us a clue when he tells us to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." The good news is that God's priority for us is faith in Him that produces spiritual perfection and completeness. The bad news is...it takes trials and tribulation to achieve those things.
Principle 3 recognizes that God's priority for us is spiritual growth and maturity, not our happiness and pleasure. Therefore, if we are Christians who truly desire to grow spiritually, we must be Christians who are ready to face difficulties in order to grow our faith. When we face those difficulties with the knowledge that spiritual growth will result, not only do the difficulties make sense, but we can more easily move toward counting it all joy!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Principle 2- Heaven is our true home
Building from the first principle laid out in my last post, if we are to live in this world as exiles, it brings up the natural question of where is our true home. Therefore, principle #2 is that heaven is our true home.
It is one thing to agree with that statement, but a completely different matter to actually live your life that way. A life lived with the knowledge and belief that heaven is our true home is a life dominated by an eternal perspective. In other words, it is a life that is constantly weighing priorities on the basis of what will matter in the light of eternity versus what is important now and in the moment.
It is a life that will have several characteristics including caring less about what other people think and more about what God thinks. It is a life that values relationships and the soul condition of those around us rather than our own image in the world. The life that is lived with an eternal perspective cares less about the accumulation of things and more about meeting the needs of others. It is a life that is open to sacrifice for others and less about self preservation than about truly following God's will for our lives.
Frankly, the life lived with an eternal perspective should be puzzling for those living only for this world. It should not make sense...it should be radical and easily misunderstood. It should stand out and draw questions rather than blend in with the everyday lives of those living only for themselves.
It will be a life that bears eternal fruit. That is, at it's end, the person will be able to look back and see in small ways, lives that they have touched and changed, souls that have been won to the Lord, and disciples that have grown under their influence. The only thing that will last eternally is our works that have impacted another soul, by helping them in their time of need, by leading them to Christ, or by helping them grow closer to their Lord. That's it! Gold, money or treasure will not pass into eternity. Cars, houses, yards, boats, gadgets and all other possessions will all disappear one day. They will not pass into eternity. Only people will pass into eternity, and yes, probably animals as well.
The life lived with the view of heaven as our true home, will be a life focused on helping the lives of those around us, sacrificially, spiritually, and always with God's help.
It is one thing to agree with that statement, but a completely different matter to actually live your life that way. A life lived with the knowledge and belief that heaven is our true home is a life dominated by an eternal perspective. In other words, it is a life that is constantly weighing priorities on the basis of what will matter in the light of eternity versus what is important now and in the moment.
It is a life that will have several characteristics including caring less about what other people think and more about what God thinks. It is a life that values relationships and the soul condition of those around us rather than our own image in the world. The life that is lived with an eternal perspective cares less about the accumulation of things and more about meeting the needs of others. It is a life that is open to sacrifice for others and less about self preservation than about truly following God's will for our lives.
Frankly, the life lived with an eternal perspective should be puzzling for those living only for this world. It should not make sense...it should be radical and easily misunderstood. It should stand out and draw questions rather than blend in with the everyday lives of those living only for themselves.
It will be a life that bears eternal fruit. That is, at it's end, the person will be able to look back and see in small ways, lives that they have touched and changed, souls that have been won to the Lord, and disciples that have grown under their influence. The only thing that will last eternally is our works that have impacted another soul, by helping them in their time of need, by leading them to Christ, or by helping them grow closer to their Lord. That's it! Gold, money or treasure will not pass into eternity. Cars, houses, yards, boats, gadgets and all other possessions will all disappear one day. They will not pass into eternity. Only people will pass into eternity, and yes, probably animals as well.
The life lived with the view of heaven as our true home, will be a life focused on helping the lives of those around us, sacrificially, spiritually, and always with God's help.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Principles for Today's Christians- Living as an exile
I've been a follower of Jesus Christ for over 35 years, and during that time, I've spent a great deal of time thinking through what it means to be a Christian and walk with the Lord in today's world. Just recently, I've been thinking about condensing those thoughts down to a set of principles that come out of the Bible...principles that are thus Biblical and should be remembered by every believer if they truly want to follow the Lord in this life.
These principles are grounded first of all in the belief that God exists and has revealed Himself to the form of the Trinity, i.e. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This revelation has been through not only creation, but more specifically the Bible, which I believe to be inspired (literally God breathed) and thus inerrant. These principles pre-suppose that those who would follow them have true faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and have submitted their lives to Him, seeking to live the life that God has prepared for them.
With this background, the first principle that I must daily remind myself of is that this world is not my home. It requires daily remembrance because I am created in such a way that where I am, I want to make my home. It is a natural response within me that where I am currently existing should be my home. But Scripture in many places reminds us that the world around us is different than when it was created, thus it is fallen and should no longer be the desire of my heart. Probably one of the best Scripture references is 1 John 2:15-17 where John writes do not love the world or the things in the world.
Thus true Christians must abide in this world not as natural citizens of the world, but rather as living in exile and many have put it. This naturally brings up the question of what it means to live in exile as opposed to living as a citizen. A citizen has an ultimate focus of improving their life in this world, while an exile lives with a focus beyond this world. The success or failure of a citizen's life is based solely on success and failure within this world, while the exile it looking for success in the eyes of the One who made this world. Two very different things, and thus two very different lives.
These principles are grounded first of all in the belief that God exists and has revealed Himself to the form of the Trinity, i.e. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This revelation has been through not only creation, but more specifically the Bible, which I believe to be inspired (literally God breathed) and thus inerrant. These principles pre-suppose that those who would follow them have true faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and have submitted their lives to Him, seeking to live the life that God has prepared for them.
With this background, the first principle that I must daily remind myself of is that this world is not my home. It requires daily remembrance because I am created in such a way that where I am, I want to make my home. It is a natural response within me that where I am currently existing should be my home. But Scripture in many places reminds us that the world around us is different than when it was created, thus it is fallen and should no longer be the desire of my heart. Probably one of the best Scripture references is 1 John 2:15-17 where John writes do not love the world or the things in the world.
Thus true Christians must abide in this world not as natural citizens of the world, but rather as living in exile and many have put it. This naturally brings up the question of what it means to live in exile as opposed to living as a citizen. A citizen has an ultimate focus of improving their life in this world, while an exile lives with a focus beyond this world. The success or failure of a citizen's life is based solely on success and failure within this world, while the exile it looking for success in the eyes of the One who made this world. Two very different things, and thus two very different lives.
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