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I enjoy reading stories about how God has worked in peoples lives through great difficulty and trial. I love hearing about a faith that clings to God, as God holds them close through the storm. I love hearing about the faithfulness of brothers and sisters who stand firm in the face of difficulty, slander, abuse, trial, loss, and persecution and in the end they see God and all His glory shine in the darkness to confirm that they are truly on the Rock of our salvation. I love to see the evidence of a life changed, and to hear of the sticktuitiveness of the friends who weathered the questions, the animosity, and vitriol that was projected onto them because they bore the name of Christ, only to see over time, their friend to grow from using them as a punching bag, to becoming a sibling in the family of God.
These stories make me cry, these stories make me excited, these stories make me stand and cheer--they make my heart leap, my gut groan, my mind spin, and my spirit soar.
I love reading about, and hearing about, and seeing the fruit of these life stories. Don't you?
But...
Here's the question...
Are they our life stories too, or are we trying to vicariously live through someone else?
These stories cost the persons much, they cost us nothing to read them.
These stories reveal the deep investment of a life walking with someone in their mess, letting Jesus be incarnate in our lives, to hear them is exhilarating but we spend nothing--what return on this investment will we get?
These stories bring emotional surges, and momentary worshipful highs--but, do they really draw me closer to God? Wasn't God in the storm with the folks that we read about... What if God calls me into the storm... What if He asks me to join Him there...
Why are these stories so exciting?
Simple. We see God doing God things, in and through people's lives for His glory and His fame bringing His Kingdom, and His Gospel. It is what we were created for, what Jesus died for, it is the mission that God is on and the mission that we have been invited to be a part of. We deeply long for this in our lives--yet it terrifies us.
Answer me honestly, would you want it any other way?
Do we really want a tame god to keep on a leash, to treat as a pet, to coddle and entertain us?
Do you really want to just read about God working with, in, and through others lives--while you sit there on the couch, the chair, the pew? REALLY? So, do you want to just sit and watch Jesus reward folks for their faithfulness too--Do you really just want to watch Jesus walk with others and not you too?
Reality check: Matthew 25 Jesus says that not all who call Him 'Lord...Lord' are really His, and on judgement day there will be some unhappy--not positive or encouraging truth given. James 2 says that we are to show our faith by how we live.
It is what we were twice-born for!
Church, the body of Christ, Jesus Kids--what is distracting you? What has lied to you, and told you that to love God is not to obey, not to be with Him, not to be next to Him, not to walk with Him, not to love Him and love who and what He loves with all of who we are, and with all that He has given us in Christ and creation?
Enough is enough.
Jesus loved us so much that He gave up His stuff, His comfort, His security, and came to earth to live among us, serve us, love us, die in our place--yeah, that was comfortable....NOT
Folks, this is our heritage--this is our namesake, this is the family that we have been adopted into--this is the home that we are now apart of.
How many television programs, movies, songs, app's, toys, books, magazines, businesses, cars, dresses, hook-ups, meals, drinks, hits, distractions do we really want to use to entertain us into numbness, define what our walk with God should look like instead of His word, and ultimately cloud out what really matters? How many idols to we need to continue to feed? How long are we going to allow our cultural mindset of safety, stuff, and security define God's call on our lives rather than God's word itself.
He says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" Deut. 11:1, Deut 6, 7; Joshua 22, 23; Matt 6, 22; Mark 12, Luke 10, John 5, 1 Jn 2, 3, 4
We are all called to live out the Great Commission in our lives, because we are His kids now. Therefore, we should act like Jesus acts, and love how He loves, live how He lives.
Good thing that He gave us the Holy Spirit to make this possible....now all we need to do is obey---
But...I don't want to do this alone
Good news....God not only promises to never leave us, He adopted us into the community of believers, called the church--and we get to do this together.
I'd love to walk this together with you.
Let's repent of our complacency, lets beg for His forgiveness, and beg for the gift of obedient repentance.
God, give me your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to respond obediently with the energy, the resources, and the time that you have given me to tangibly, and practically share your love and truth with those around me. Show me what this looks like. Help me to read and understand your word as you want me to. Strip from us the cloud that our cultural idols have blinded us with. Do whatever it takes to make us into the people that you have called us into your glorious light to be. Give us places to welcome strangers, care for the sick, care for the needs of the poor, challenge the lies, speak your truth in love with gentleness and respect, and most importantly--make much of yourself in and through our lives. In Jesus name, the one who walked among us, who's Holy Spirit dwells in us, who intercedes for us even now...Amen
One last hard thought....
So, are the stories coming out of our lives inspiring because Jesus is making much of Himself through our obedience to Him, or are they just a distraction away from the glory of our King?
