I love our nation. We are so extraordinarily blessed. The opportunities afforded us in the United States are astonishing. And the freedoms we have to enjoy those opportunities are amazing. I am so thankful to be an American.
Unfortunately, in brokenness, these overwelming opportunities have formed life governing attitudes. The more there is to have, the more man wants. And the driving question becomes, What's in it for me? What do I get out of it? These questions are like glasses we wear and through these lenses, we interpret life. Consumerism has become so deeply etched into the paradigms of our culture we can't even fathom that there is another way to think.
As a Christian, a member of God's church and a citizen of a nation the Apostle Peter calls "a holy nation", Jesus, our leader, calls us to look at life through a different set of lenses. He asks us to put down the question, "What's in it for me?" and take up the question, "What can I do for them?"
Deeply etched in our King's thinking was the consideration of others. His life was given for the sake of others. The glory of His Father and the welfare of others was the driving force behind his every thought and action. He said, "I did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for others." This is the nature of the Kingdom of God. As Christians (that word means little Christs) these are the lenses we are now called to see all of life through. This is the new motivation the Holy Spirit invites us to adopt. This is the path that leads to abundance of life. We are, in reality, not called to live for ourselves any longer but to follow Jesus for the sake of others.
Think about this with me. If we were to consistantly live life this way, would anything change? Schedules? Spending habits? Communcation with people? Prayers? Worship and church attendance? Work? Marriage? Parenting?
If we saw every moment of every day through the lens of following Jesus for the sake of others, what would be the affect? Thanks for letting me think with you. I'll visit with you in more detail later. I pray for you today that you would purpose to follow Jesus for the sake of others.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have found that when my desire to live "for the sake of others" becomes a priotity over communing with Jesus and living out spiritual disciplines, I actually do a poorer job at blessing and being a blessing to others.
ReplyDeleteI have to rearrange the cart and horse, and make communing with Jesus my priotity again so that I have annointed life from Jesus flowing through me, not just efforts from my own strength or knowledge that are attempting to bless and be a blessing to others.
Such a simple concept, such a challenge to keep in proper order.