Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus
There’s been a debate raging among Christians for a long time about whether we are saved by faith or by works. On one side of the debate are those who say that we simply need to believe in Jesus and accept Him as Lord of our life. In the other camp are those that say we must earn our salvation by the things we do. I submit to you that the Biblical model is not a question of faith or works, but rather the combination of faith and works.
To help unify my goals for the upcoming year, I find it helpful to have a theme. In this way I can tie all my activities to a unified purpose. For next year I keep coming back to the idea of “Consume less, contribute more”. I wanted to share this with you, because as I pray through my ideas and plans, I find this theme has great potential for all who claim Christ as our Lord. What would it look like in your life if you were to consume less and contribute more?
Nelson Mandela said, “There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” That’s bumper sticker material right there. It’s the kind of thing you want to hang on your bathroom mirror so you see it every day. And it has great implications for your spiritual life. So many of us are content to “play small”, to sneak by without making waves, desperate to ensure that no one notices we are even there. God placed His very Spirit within you. You are filled with the presence and the power of God. If that is true – and I believe that it is – there is no way we can help but make waves; it is a certainty that not only will we be noticed but that we will be pointed out.
I was recently attending a conference where I heard Bill Hybels say something that resonated deeply with me. He said that there comes a time when “we must move from inspiration to implementation.” We have more learning tools available to us than any other generation in history. Answers to virtually any question are just a few clicks away on the internet. The abundance of courses available through traditional, online, audio, and self-study courses is truly astounding. Lack of knowledge is no longer a viable excuse for a lack of action.
We all want to feel significant; we want to know we are here for a purpose and are making a difference in the world. I think the reason so many people ask the “Why am I here?” question is because they feel insignificant and are searching for something to fill the emptiness within them. Even Christians who realize that Christ is the only one who can satisfy the deep longings in their soul often struggle with trying to figure out their purpose in life. This is another of Satan’s favorite tricks; he has convinced you of the need to search for something to make you feel significant. [Read more…] about The Lie of Acquired Significance