It is good that God is all-powerful, able to do anything consistent with His own character. So if I had been born in an atheists family, I would have probably started off that way, but God would have rescued me anyway. Or if I had been a Dahlit, untouchable in India, God would have rescued me anyway. What if I had been in a presently unreached people? Would they have been reached sooner, or would I have travelled and found Christ? All things are possible with God. So I better work to do what I can to help reach unreached peoples so they can say the same thing on judgement day. To have remained like I was in high school, godless, empty, searching, lonely, that would have meant endless travails into sinful avenues that would have likely wrecked me before now. Who knows? God knows. With God nothing is impossible. But I was pretty well adjusted in high school, successful, able, well liked, good student, healthy. But none of that satisfied me on the inside, because I was someone who wanted the truth. I made up philosophy of my own, nonsense, but I think it showed my search for truth.
I think the key now is to live in Christ's kingdom every day, waiting and watching for His work to be done, and not living in the kingdom of this world, the lost world, of doing what i want and living with unrestrained sensuality. His kingdom is very different. He heals, he helps, he blesses, he confronts, he lifts up, he calls, he sends. We, apart from Him, just die, and cry, and complain, and moan, and complain, and fall apart. Some of us don't in our manly strengths. But in the end it is all the same: life lived in our strength to do our own sensual life. I would rather live in His kingdom and wait and watch for the King to work His work, and enjoy that for one brief moment, than to enjoy days of nothingness and emptiness and crassness and rudeness and sensuality.
a blog of thoughts on life and faith by K T Mat
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
I don't want to be a charity case
Does anyone want to just get stuff from other people? Are we made to just get stuff from other people? Is it wrong to be a "charity case?" Some people won't accept help from other people because they won't accept "charity."
Imagine with me a life lived without receiving charity. You wake up in the morning and take your first breath. Oh, rats, charity received. Does God ever have to give us another breath? Did he make our bodies to "just run on their own?" No, God upholds every second the body of the atheist and the Christian, the Buddhist and the Muslim. He is merciful to all and gives all life its breath. He does not have to, but in His love He does, and wants all people to find Him.
After the first breath, you get out of bed and go into the bathroom and take a bathroom break. Ah, charity received again. A healthy working body whose kidneys and parts hold together to allow you to walk and function normally is a great blessing. To think otherwise is arrogance. God made our bodies, He makes them function now. His love is demonstrated as we enjoy good health. I have had my intestines not work, and had operations on my midsection where it took time to walk and eat and go to the bathroom again. I appreciate every sound step and normal functioning day. Vertigo and pain are not fun to deal with.
Okay, normal stuff. After breakfast you get dressed and go to your job. Charity. God gives us the mind and ability to work and make an income. Read Solomon's thoughts on this. He provides so we can be clothed. All this is from Him. If we think otherwise we are confused about how life works. He made our minds and can take them away. He made us so we can communicate, and can take that away. Look at the myriad of diseases around us that affect mind, body, and emotions, and then tell me all this you did on your own to be strong and healthy and well off. No you didn't. God gave it to you.
After work you go home and see your kids and wife. Once again, charity. Children are a gift from God. The word charity comes from the root charis which means gift, as in charismatic.
Hopefully by now you get the point: our whole life and existence is a gift from God. So receiving more help for something is simply part of the experience of life and nothing different from taking a breath. And to refuse that help is to slap a loving Father's hand when He wants to help.
Now certainly, people take advantage of this and come to be lazy and look to others to work when they should, or to do the things they should be doing. This is abuse of charity. This is laziness and rightfully the Bible says that "if a man will not work, he will not eat." That will get you off your lazy butt quick. Or it should. Hunger can be quite motivating. So sometimes there is a decision to be made about whether or not we have done what we could to provide, but the reality is this universe is a place where decay occurs in money, as well as bones and cars. Things don't always go as planned or as we would like. We make mistakes, we overspend, etc. I think this is why the Israelites had in place the year of Jubilee and forgiving of debts every so many years. We need this to keep functioning in healthy pattern. So now it means we must plan much better since our way of life knows no jubilee year or forgiving of debts (I suppose bankruptcy is one form of this). I suppose if we have been lazy and want to change or others just want to provide our way when we could be doing more or our part, then it makes sense to "not be a charity case." Or perhaps we have been foolish and need to change our ways and not just get bailed out again, and as a form of discipline for ourselves we refuse help, that can make sense. But overall, we are a charity case, and need to give and receive charity from each other.
The early Christians example of not having too much and not having too little that Paul discusses in Corinthians is a good example of practicing charity in real life. And ideal. If I have a lot extra and can help you pay bills, then great. Then maybe sometime when you have extra you can help me pay my bills. "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'" I am afraid this type of really helping each other is VERY rare in America where everyone "makes their own way." We don't know each others real needs, and expect each other to take care of our own situation without help. For the most part. And this is wrong. The problem is that we are so wealthy here, we have lost the ability to feel concern and care over real needs people have and probably don't even see them as needs any more; we have lost our way. So we don't mind seeing friends go into debt, or take out loans that will cost them a lot extra, or work a third extra job to pay their bills while we put in a new pool, or build a bigger barn or buy a newer car or buy a season football pass. It's just the way things are done, and in my opinion it can be callous and uncaring. We have to find a way to connect better with those around us, especially if we are a believer in Jesus. I know I need to change in this way. With God's help, yes. Oh yeah, His charity. Yes, I need His grace and mercy to become a giver like this. God, make it so.
Imagine with me a life lived without receiving charity. You wake up in the morning and take your first breath. Oh, rats, charity received. Does God ever have to give us another breath? Did he make our bodies to "just run on their own?" No, God upholds every second the body of the atheist and the Christian, the Buddhist and the Muslim. He is merciful to all and gives all life its breath. He does not have to, but in His love He does, and wants all people to find Him.
After the first breath, you get out of bed and go into the bathroom and take a bathroom break. Ah, charity received again. A healthy working body whose kidneys and parts hold together to allow you to walk and function normally is a great blessing. To think otherwise is arrogance. God made our bodies, He makes them function now. His love is demonstrated as we enjoy good health. I have had my intestines not work, and had operations on my midsection where it took time to walk and eat and go to the bathroom again. I appreciate every sound step and normal functioning day. Vertigo and pain are not fun to deal with.
Okay, normal stuff. After breakfast you get dressed and go to your job. Charity. God gives us the mind and ability to work and make an income. Read Solomon's thoughts on this. He provides so we can be clothed. All this is from Him. If we think otherwise we are confused about how life works. He made our minds and can take them away. He made us so we can communicate, and can take that away. Look at the myriad of diseases around us that affect mind, body, and emotions, and then tell me all this you did on your own to be strong and healthy and well off. No you didn't. God gave it to you.
After work you go home and see your kids and wife. Once again, charity. Children are a gift from God. The word charity comes from the root charis which means gift, as in charismatic.
Hopefully by now you get the point: our whole life and existence is a gift from God. So receiving more help for something is simply part of the experience of life and nothing different from taking a breath. And to refuse that help is to slap a loving Father's hand when He wants to help.
Now certainly, people take advantage of this and come to be lazy and look to others to work when they should, or to do the things they should be doing. This is abuse of charity. This is laziness and rightfully the Bible says that "if a man will not work, he will not eat." That will get you off your lazy butt quick. Or it should. Hunger can be quite motivating. So sometimes there is a decision to be made about whether or not we have done what we could to provide, but the reality is this universe is a place where decay occurs in money, as well as bones and cars. Things don't always go as planned or as we would like. We make mistakes, we overspend, etc. I think this is why the Israelites had in place the year of Jubilee and forgiving of debts every so many years. We need this to keep functioning in healthy pattern. So now it means we must plan much better since our way of life knows no jubilee year or forgiving of debts (I suppose bankruptcy is one form of this). I suppose if we have been lazy and want to change or others just want to provide our way when we could be doing more or our part, then it makes sense to "not be a charity case." Or perhaps we have been foolish and need to change our ways and not just get bailed out again, and as a form of discipline for ourselves we refuse help, that can make sense. But overall, we are a charity case, and need to give and receive charity from each other.
The early Christians example of not having too much and not having too little that Paul discusses in Corinthians is a good example of practicing charity in real life. And ideal. If I have a lot extra and can help you pay bills, then great. Then maybe sometime when you have extra you can help me pay my bills. "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'" I am afraid this type of really helping each other is VERY rare in America where everyone "makes their own way." We don't know each others real needs, and expect each other to take care of our own situation without help. For the most part. And this is wrong. The problem is that we are so wealthy here, we have lost the ability to feel concern and care over real needs people have and probably don't even see them as needs any more; we have lost our way. So we don't mind seeing friends go into debt, or take out loans that will cost them a lot extra, or work a third extra job to pay their bills while we put in a new pool, or build a bigger barn or buy a newer car or buy a season football pass. It's just the way things are done, and in my opinion it can be callous and uncaring. We have to find a way to connect better with those around us, especially if we are a believer in Jesus. I know I need to change in this way. With God's help, yes. Oh yeah, His charity. Yes, I need His grace and mercy to become a giver like this. God, make it so.
Is individualism a sin?
Individualism:
at dictionary.com the following were some of the definitions: a social theory that advocates the freedom, rights, and independent action of the individual person; the pursuit of individual as opposed to group interests; the doctrine that only individual things are real or that all actions take place for the benefit of the individual, not society as a whole.
"It is better to give than to receive."
I don't think most Americans or western minded people really believe this.
In some sense we might think we do, but only because we have SO much already. As I have written previously, Americans are extremely wealthy people. So we already have A LOT. Take that away and I doubt we really would want to give, or think about others.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died, and He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again."
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
The focus for the Christian life is to be Jesus and the glory of God. Our focus is not ourselves as individuals. This is the biblical way. This is NOT the American way.
So individualism IS a sinful philosophy and mindset that also happens to be the very waters Americans and the west live and breath in and probably we can't really hardly see, like we don't see the oxygen we breathe every moment of our lives.
Now individualism is different than being an individual. We are all individual beings. And reflecting our own tastes and uniqueness, well God gave us those. So that is fine. But when we become the focus of our lives (ie Narcissism follows closely and we look into the mirror of us and stare intently without looking away), then we have turned to individualism and a sinful air surrounds us.
An ism is a philosophy or outlook that pervades our lives, like water is the medium in which fish swim. Water is the ism of the fish. If a person holds to Marxism, they believe that all means of making money should belong to the state, there is no god, and workers must unite. A person who holds to pantheism walks each day believing that the trees and rocks and all things around them have a spiritual life of some kind that should be obeyed and served. You get the idea; isms pervade lives.
In Japan, if you dishonor your parents, this is a horrific thing to do. You must pay homage to your ancestors and to your family. You live "collectively". This is the way of life. And in general because it is a focus on others, it is better. Obviously worshipping ancestors is wrong (Only God is to be worshipped), but honoring mother and father is much more "built in" in Japanese and other Asian cultures.
In the US and most of the western world, thoughts are first on what will make me happy, and what should I pursue, and what do I need, and what I, I, I, I, I, I, me, me, me, me. This IS the water in which we live. Everything we are taught and consider is approached this way. VERY few people will ever sacrifice what he or she wants for the sake of others. Kudos to those who do, who feel responsibility to let go of dreams and personal pleasure to help family or others in life.
The first command is to love God with all we have and are, and then to love our neighbors like we love ourselves. So if we live for Jesus and the glory of God, our focus needs to be practicing this. NOT living for our individual selves. It does not mean, however, that we don;t make sure our individual needs are not met. All people do that. But we must seek to meet others needs while doing that (Philippians 2:3-4). But while we do that, we must consider at what cost will we meet them. Abortion is practiced in America PRIMARILY because individuals are not willing to accept responsibility for their choices and sacrifice their lives for others; we are not willing to love our neighbor (baby) as ourselves. This is the case statistically for 70 to 90% of the abortions that occur every year. When fathers walk out on families, they do so at the cost of living for themselves over loving their neighbor (kids and wife). It is the way of the coward and the lazy selfish pig. So at some point, if we love Jesus, we need to be willing to lay down our life (in other words really let go of what we think will fulfill us) so that we can help someone else have their needs met. Maybe our husband or wife is less than we had hoped for. Do we let them go to find a better one to meet our needs? Individualism and the American way say YES. Do what makes you happy. We have a friend we know from college who did this and then a student that I used to teach at a Christian school who chose this path. But Jesus calls us to let go of that, accept the choice and covenant we have entered and serve the needs of the one we have married. To be content.
The reality we have really missed in all this is that NO human or earthly prize is going to ultimately make us happy and fulfill that individualist dream. People who think so are living a pipe dream. This is the whole point of the book of Ecclesiastes. ONLY God through Jesus will bring that lasting eternal joy that we all want and seek. And then it is legitimate because we are making God, and not some idol of a thing or idea, as the ultimate fulfillment of our lives. So we make our way forward in the American sludge of individualism by looking to God to practice love for others and love for Him. Looking outside of ourselves to serving others. Doing stuff for their good, not ours. Not for our comfort, but theirs. Not for our pleasure, but theirs. But since our joy is in God, it ends up working out that this service provides great joy for us. The difference? We are finding our joy in God, not in pleasing ourselves. God did not give the command to love Him and others because He needs us to obey that. He gave it to us because it is the clean waters to swim in that give life and joy, as opposed to any other way that we can try to swim in that is poisoned and brings death and despair. It is the way God is, love, and as we swim in Him we find life, hope, and joy.
So let's all swim in loving others and God, and not in ourselves as individualists. In that, there is NO life and NO joy that lasts. It will take sacrifice and letting go of what we think we need for the reality that God says we need. "It is better to give than to receive."
at dictionary.com the following were some of the definitions: a social theory that advocates the freedom, rights, and independent action of the individual person; the pursuit of individual as opposed to group interests; the doctrine that only individual things are real or that all actions take place for the benefit of the individual, not society as a whole.
"It is better to give than to receive."
I don't think most Americans or western minded people really believe this.
In some sense we might think we do, but only because we have SO much already. As I have written previously, Americans are extremely wealthy people. So we already have A LOT. Take that away and I doubt we really would want to give, or think about others.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died, and He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again."
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
The focus for the Christian life is to be Jesus and the glory of God. Our focus is not ourselves as individuals. This is the biblical way. This is NOT the American way.
So individualism IS a sinful philosophy and mindset that also happens to be the very waters Americans and the west live and breath in and probably we can't really hardly see, like we don't see the oxygen we breathe every moment of our lives.
Now individualism is different than being an individual. We are all individual beings. And reflecting our own tastes and uniqueness, well God gave us those. So that is fine. But when we become the focus of our lives (ie Narcissism follows closely and we look into the mirror of us and stare intently without looking away), then we have turned to individualism and a sinful air surrounds us.
An ism is a philosophy or outlook that pervades our lives, like water is the medium in which fish swim. Water is the ism of the fish. If a person holds to Marxism, they believe that all means of making money should belong to the state, there is no god, and workers must unite. A person who holds to pantheism walks each day believing that the trees and rocks and all things around them have a spiritual life of some kind that should be obeyed and served. You get the idea; isms pervade lives.
In Japan, if you dishonor your parents, this is a horrific thing to do. You must pay homage to your ancestors and to your family. You live "collectively". This is the way of life. And in general because it is a focus on others, it is better. Obviously worshipping ancestors is wrong (Only God is to be worshipped), but honoring mother and father is much more "built in" in Japanese and other Asian cultures.
In the US and most of the western world, thoughts are first on what will make me happy, and what should I pursue, and what do I need, and what I, I, I, I, I, I, me, me, me, me. This IS the water in which we live. Everything we are taught and consider is approached this way. VERY few people will ever sacrifice what he or she wants for the sake of others. Kudos to those who do, who feel responsibility to let go of dreams and personal pleasure to help family or others in life.
The first command is to love God with all we have and are, and then to love our neighbors like we love ourselves. So if we live for Jesus and the glory of God, our focus needs to be practicing this. NOT living for our individual selves. It does not mean, however, that we don;t make sure our individual needs are not met. All people do that. But we must seek to meet others needs while doing that (Philippians 2:3-4). But while we do that, we must consider at what cost will we meet them. Abortion is practiced in America PRIMARILY because individuals are not willing to accept responsibility for their choices and sacrifice their lives for others; we are not willing to love our neighbor (baby) as ourselves. This is the case statistically for 70 to 90% of the abortions that occur every year. When fathers walk out on families, they do so at the cost of living for themselves over loving their neighbor (kids and wife). It is the way of the coward and the lazy selfish pig. So at some point, if we love Jesus, we need to be willing to lay down our life (in other words really let go of what we think will fulfill us) so that we can help someone else have their needs met. Maybe our husband or wife is less than we had hoped for. Do we let them go to find a better one to meet our needs? Individualism and the American way say YES. Do what makes you happy. We have a friend we know from college who did this and then a student that I used to teach at a Christian school who chose this path. But Jesus calls us to let go of that, accept the choice and covenant we have entered and serve the needs of the one we have married. To be content.
The reality we have really missed in all this is that NO human or earthly prize is going to ultimately make us happy and fulfill that individualist dream. People who think so are living a pipe dream. This is the whole point of the book of Ecclesiastes. ONLY God through Jesus will bring that lasting eternal joy that we all want and seek. And then it is legitimate because we are making God, and not some idol of a thing or idea, as the ultimate fulfillment of our lives. So we make our way forward in the American sludge of individualism by looking to God to practice love for others and love for Him. Looking outside of ourselves to serving others. Doing stuff for their good, not ours. Not for our comfort, but theirs. Not for our pleasure, but theirs. But since our joy is in God, it ends up working out that this service provides great joy for us. The difference? We are finding our joy in God, not in pleasing ourselves. God did not give the command to love Him and others because He needs us to obey that. He gave it to us because it is the clean waters to swim in that give life and joy, as opposed to any other way that we can try to swim in that is poisoned and brings death and despair. It is the way God is, love, and as we swim in Him we find life, hope, and joy.
So let's all swim in loving others and God, and not in ourselves as individualists. In that, there is NO life and NO joy that lasts. It will take sacrifice and letting go of what we think we need for the reality that God says we need. "It is better to give than to receive."
Saturday, August 7, 2010
the 639
Here is a website that deals with the 639 unengaged people groups of over 100,000 people. These people need our love. They need the good news of Jesus.
http://www.finishingthetask.com/
Here is a video that speaks of the 639 unengaged people groups of 100,000 or more people. That is, unengaged with the good news of Jesus.
Church, what will you do with this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENgqvDhwAI&feature=related
Watch the other video by this group called the FTT Vision next.
http://www.finishingthetask.com/
Here is a video that speaks of the 639 unengaged people groups of 100,000 or more people. That is, unengaged with the good news of Jesus.
Church, what will you do with this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENgqvDhwAI&feature=related
Watch the other video by this group called the FTT Vision next.
Friday, August 6, 2010
What do you really want?
A difficult thing to do is how to decide what to do with one's life. It is a question all Christians especially face, but so does everyone else. And particularly Americans, who have no sense of destiny in the choices God has made around their lives, but more of a sense of all the possibilities that are available to them, it can be hard to decide what to do with one's life. So a good question to ask is, "What do I really want at the end of my days?" or "What do I really want?"
In other words, when you or I reach the end of our days, will we be happy if we get what we want now? If what I want now is to have the best DVD collection, and I end up with the best DVD collection at the end of my days, whenever that happens, will I be glad? If I want to have an immaculate yard and the prettiest house, will that satisfy me when I am ready to move onto the next life? If I want to win 2 state basketball championships as a coach, or amass many trophies, or win 500 games, will that make me feel like my life was not wasted when it is over? If I want to be known and adored and fawned over by many people, like Marylin Monroe, for some cleverness I have, or beauty, or ability to do something like shoot a basketball, will I be satisfied if I get that and then die soon after? AND are these the things I REALLY want? That is what I must ask and answer.
The reason I need an answer is because I only get one shot here, and having wasted a life seems to me the most tragic thing I can possibly imagine. I can waste my life. I can end up spending it on what I did not really want and getting what I did not hope for. And have only dust and empty dreams when my days are all done, I will weep and weep and weep. How tragic. But by asking this question now, "What do I really want?", I can begin to formulate an answer that will help lead my down a path to doing what is necessary so that won't be what the end of my days looks like.
As a believer in Jesus, when I ask this question in light of His command to lay up treasures in heaven, I can begin to see that any answer of this question that involves temporary non-lasting things leaves me wanting. From thinking about how God wants to make Himself known among all nations, if my answer about what I really want does not involve God's desires, how can I be happy with it? At least if I want to love Him?
When I think of some believers that have planted churches, or won many people to know Jesus, or tried to do what they could to live in a hostile environment for the glory of God (and perhaps were killed, or tortured), then when I think what I might be able to say to God is that, "Father, I had a really nice house and lived very comfortably for 40 years while I worked in my yard and watched a lot of football games, and I was an excellent chess player," I don't feel so good about that. I don't want to say that.
I don't think this has anything to do with how I earn a living, but with where my heart is centered and what I do out of that. I think it does mean I do all I can do with the gifts God has given ME in my context to make God's glory known among the nations of the world, the peoples of the world, and to bring His gospel to these peoples. If I am faithful to God in this way, then I will be able to be happy at the end of my days about what I really wanted. This is at least a good start down that better road.
But it starts by asking, "What do I really want?", and then compare this to scripture if you are a Christian to see how it lines up with what God wants. This would be one way of obeying Colossians 3:1-4 about setting our minds and hearts on things above, or about obeying Jesus command to seek first His kingdom.
For anyone reading this not a Christian, and if you got this far with my discussion, maybe this question will help you start thinking about the lasting value of what you are pursuing in your life. How valuable is it really? If all we are is dust in the wind and nothing lasts, and having a cold one on the back porch after a football game is as good as it gets, what is the ultimate point? So, what do you really want?
In other words, when you or I reach the end of our days, will we be happy if we get what we want now? If what I want now is to have the best DVD collection, and I end up with the best DVD collection at the end of my days, whenever that happens, will I be glad? If I want to have an immaculate yard and the prettiest house, will that satisfy me when I am ready to move onto the next life? If I want to win 2 state basketball championships as a coach, or amass many trophies, or win 500 games, will that make me feel like my life was not wasted when it is over? If I want to be known and adored and fawned over by many people, like Marylin Monroe, for some cleverness I have, or beauty, or ability to do something like shoot a basketball, will I be satisfied if I get that and then die soon after? AND are these the things I REALLY want? That is what I must ask and answer.
The reason I need an answer is because I only get one shot here, and having wasted a life seems to me the most tragic thing I can possibly imagine. I can waste my life. I can end up spending it on what I did not really want and getting what I did not hope for. And have only dust and empty dreams when my days are all done, I will weep and weep and weep. How tragic. But by asking this question now, "What do I really want?", I can begin to formulate an answer that will help lead my down a path to doing what is necessary so that won't be what the end of my days looks like.
As a believer in Jesus, when I ask this question in light of His command to lay up treasures in heaven, I can begin to see that any answer of this question that involves temporary non-lasting things leaves me wanting. From thinking about how God wants to make Himself known among all nations, if my answer about what I really want does not involve God's desires, how can I be happy with it? At least if I want to love Him?
When I think of some believers that have planted churches, or won many people to know Jesus, or tried to do what they could to live in a hostile environment for the glory of God (and perhaps were killed, or tortured), then when I think what I might be able to say to God is that, "Father, I had a really nice house and lived very comfortably for 40 years while I worked in my yard and watched a lot of football games, and I was an excellent chess player," I don't feel so good about that. I don't want to say that.
I don't think this has anything to do with how I earn a living, but with where my heart is centered and what I do out of that. I think it does mean I do all I can do with the gifts God has given ME in my context to make God's glory known among the nations of the world, the peoples of the world, and to bring His gospel to these peoples. If I am faithful to God in this way, then I will be able to be happy at the end of my days about what I really wanted. This is at least a good start down that better road.
But it starts by asking, "What do I really want?", and then compare this to scripture if you are a Christian to see how it lines up with what God wants. This would be one way of obeying Colossians 3:1-4 about setting our minds and hearts on things above, or about obeying Jesus command to seek first His kingdom.
For anyone reading this not a Christian, and if you got this far with my discussion, maybe this question will help you start thinking about the lasting value of what you are pursuing in your life. How valuable is it really? If all we are is dust in the wind and nothing lasts, and having a cold one on the back porch after a football game is as good as it gets, what is the ultimate point? So, what do you really want?
Monday, August 2, 2010
What or who am I willing to die for?
Christians around the world face threats like this, except in some places. http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/pakistan/23344/
That is July 29 of this year. That is 4 days ago in Pakistan.
What or who we will die for says probably everything about who or what we will LIVE for. Who will I die for? My wife, my kids, my real friends, and Jesus. I know many have had to answer this question in relation to their country. I have not been put in that position nor put myself there.
Who or what will you die for? If you can't answer the question then do you really have anything worth living for?
If you don't then I suggest you investigate who Jesus is. If you honestly seek Him, and are willing to follow Him as He reveals Himself to you, He will answer the question.
That is July 29 of this year. That is 4 days ago in Pakistan.
What or who we will die for says probably everything about who or what we will LIVE for. Who will I die for? My wife, my kids, my real friends, and Jesus. I know many have had to answer this question in relation to their country. I have not been put in that position nor put myself there.
Who or what will you die for? If you can't answer the question then do you really have anything worth living for?
If you don't then I suggest you investigate who Jesus is. If you honestly seek Him, and are willing to follow Him as He reveals Himself to you, He will answer the question.
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