Not many look at each moment of their life as an opportunity to serve God. Time passes so quickly and we lead such frenzied lives that we scarcely notice the opportunities we miss and the decisions we make by rote. It is for this reason that we do not experience great growth in our spiritual lives. Until we learn to capture each moment we encounter, we will struggle to live our life wholly devoted to Christ. A life that is wholly His recognizes every decision is an opportunity to say yes to God and no to our selfish desires. Every breath we take, every thought we think, is a new opportunity to die to ourselves and find ourselves alive in Christ.
Archives for October 2013
What’s Your Isaac?
One of the most dramatic stories in the Bible is that of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-17). Most are familiar with the details, but allow me to quickly recap. God promised Abraham that many nations would come from him, and that the entire world would be blessed through his lineage. Yet Abraham and his wife had grown old and still had no children. But miraculously, Sarah became pregnant and had a son named Isaac. Fast forward about ten years. God told Abraham to offer Isaac, he and Sarah’s only son, as an offering to Him. After all these years, all that waiting, it now appeared that God would take away what seemed to matter most to Abraham.
Who’s Following Whom?
Many people endeavor to follow Jesus, but most end up expecting Him to follow them. Whereas in the beginning we surrendered our lives to Christ, the way we live day to day is more like inviting Him to follow us on our quest to grab our dreams and accomplish our goals. When times get tough, it’s great to have Jesus by your side. Just in case we get into a bind, there’s nothing quite like having the Son of God show up and rescue you from your troubles. Once back on solid footing, we are quick to reassume the lead and relegate Jesus to a secondary position, with Him presumably just waiting to be summoned when we need Him.
Spending Everything
Do you consider yourself a world changer? If you choose to follow Christ, that will be your mission. It doesn’t take much effort to realize our world is an absolute mess. Financial systems are crashing, morals are nonexistent, and violence is out of control. The message of Jesus is a cure for all that is wrong with society. It is the job of His people to take His good news to the furthest and darkest corners of our planet. If we impart the love of God to the masses, the peace of Christ will heal our nations. The only question is, are we up to the task?