When we chose to follow Jesus, to give him our allegiance, many things happen. We become a citizen of God’s kingdom. We become a member of God’s family. We become a part of God’s body.
We come into agreement with Jesus. So, we take as our values, goals and priorities, Jesus’ values, goals and priorities. We take Jesus’ mind-set and cognitive framework.
The Holy spirit takes up residence in our hearts. So, he takes over our hearts. Our motivations change. Our attitudes change. Our perspectives change.
This is a long and round-about way of saying, we are different from everybody else.
- God’s Perspective
God has many children living in a far-away country. It is a country which is hostile to them, because they are from his country, they are his children. Moreover, it is a country that tries to manipulate his children. It wants to induce them to agree with its standards and customs, which are against God’s standards and customs.
God, from his position as master designer and creator, knows what gives health and well-being. He knows that people will be much better off if they live in relationship with him. And he is concerned for his children. He is concerned they will stumble, move away from him, damage their relationship and damage their “hearts.” (“Heart” being a Biblical metaphor for a person’s inner being: psychological, emotional and spiritual.)
But God is also confident about his children. He is confident that the will not move away from him and cause this damage to themselves. Moreover, he is confident that with his children in the world, engaging the world, that the world will be drawn to him. God has put a longing in people’s hearts to experience all that his children experience. And if people advance to him, give him their allegiance, they will fill the emptiness. They will also become God’s children. And they will become aliens in their own home town.
And God is confident his children will choose the completeness they were designed for, and keep away from the substitutes the world uses to fill its heart.
- Living My Life
We live in a world that moves contrary to God’s ways. People choose to go against how they were designed. Like water in the gas tank, a car might still run … just not very well.
So, is it surprising that the government chooses a direction that does not keep God’s ways? Is is surprising that businesses provide “services” that go directly against God’s word?
So, how does God’s family react when this happens?
They complain. They whine. They expect the world to say “OMG!! What was I thinking??”
One: God says “Do not grumble.” God says “In every life situation, give thanks.” Moreover, God speaks into every situation. Look for, be alert for, his revelation. He will tell you how to turn a negative into a positive.
Two: God’s family is supposed to be a positive force in the world. That’s why God left us in the world.
The world does not know God. It does not know his ways. It has no intention of following his ways, if it did know them.
God’s family does know God’s ways … or it should. Giving God allegiance, we agree to keep those ways. God’s family should be demonstrating his ways, living his ways, to impact a broken world. Whining and complaining won’t fix what’s wrong. Love, grace and truth will.
No comments:
Post a Comment