In his new book, “Simplify”, Bill Hybels states that being connected to God reminds him he doesn’t “need to fulfill someone else’s agenda, because I have my hand in the hand of the one whose plans and purposes my life is all about.” It’s easy to get so caught up in the expectations of others that we become overwhelmed, over-committed, and altogether out of control. We lose sight of what matters most in life. The world we live in today is moving faster than ever before. Attention spans are almost nonexistent; patience levels are low, frustrations are high, and the result is a world spinning out of control, plummeting into an abyss of evil that is difficult for us to even comprehend. There is an answer to this madness. There is a way out of the darkness.
Daily Life
The Character of God
“Satan’s plan was to distort God’s character and incite Adam and Eve to distrust God. Satan knew once they stopped trusting God, they would be powerless to overcome his temptations”, writes Brad Cole in the fantastic book, “Servant God”. Ever since that initial deception, God has been at work revealing His true character to humans, and Satan has continued to try to twist our perception of it. As long as we don’t trust in the integrity of God, we can never experience the fullness of life He intends for us. We have bought the lies of Satan that convince us we need the things of this world to fulfill the desires of our hearts. We have become blind to the fact that all we need is Jesus. Worse still, we have come to distrust in the promises of God, and ultimately in His character.
Love God Hate Sin
Here’s an obvious statement: followers of Jesus love God and hate sin. That’s something with which I think all believers would agree. Now for a maybe not so obvious question: “If it’s true we love God and hate sin, why don’t we live like it is true?” To love God and hate sin is easy for us to say. Demonstrating it on a consistent basis gets a bit dicey. We sometimes demonstrate our love for God, just as we occasionally demonstrate our hatred for sin. Until we reach a point where we regularly demonstrate these two truths in our everyday lives, it may be fair to question whether or not we are true disciples of Jesus.
Complacency and Laziness
Complacency and laziness are two of the deadliest enemies we face in our walk with Jesus. There are more insidious and despicable foes that will come our way, but none are more dangerous and deceptive than complacency and laziness. They sneak up on you with stealth-like wonder and infest themselves throughout your entire body. Complacency says we’ve “prayed the prayer” or “live life as a good person”. We’re good. We can coast from here. Complacency is fed by those who teach that our works don’t matter when it comes down to it. As long as we believe in Jesus we’re safe. Laziness is the close companion of complacency. It convinces you that it’s okay to spend a few extra hours sleeping or eating or watching television. After all, the world will still be there when we’re done. Meanwhile children starve, families are homeless, and people die faced with an eternity separated from the God who loves them.
What Color is God?
In the forward to the book, “Free: Spending your time and money on what matters most”, Richard Rohr stated that “If you are a white middle class American, for example, and all your beliefs end up making God look like a white middle-class American, sharing all of your usual prejudices and illusions, I doubt whether you have met the Eternal God at all.” Those are bold words that I believe sum up a major problem with Christianity in the world today. We all tend to make God in our own image instead of allowing Him to conform us to His image. We all see Him as a product of our particular culture instead of seeking to become part of God’s culture. Until we get this turned around, we will never experience the life He created us to live.