So - this is a little heavy for a Friday morning conversation, and not likely to be popular amongst many. But, I am going to voice my opinion anyway.
I have struggled with trying to do the 'right thing' for years. When I was a general manager at a manufacturing business making about $90k per year, I was convinced that the 'right thing' was to make really good money so that I could give my children everything they needed and most of what they wanted. The 'right thing' was for me to build a career, feel empowered, be independent and financially secure in case my marriage failed. The win: great income, cool vacations, self-confidence (ok, cockiness) galore. The price: time with family, commitment to marriage, incredible stress, insanely long hours, little active part in children's lives, no time for God - besides, I was doing fine on my own.
After experiencing some very painful losses, I was forced to re-evaluate my thinking, my priorities, and my relationship with Christ. I did walk away from that position - and the paycheck - it was the 'right thing' to do, after all.
The battle has raged on, to varying depths of conviction, since then. To make matters worse, it has extended from battling over what is right for me to also struggling with what is right for my family, my children. You see, when you give up your life, truly forfeit the right to 'do it on your own', you allow the Holy Spirit to speak loud and clear.
No, I am not a religious freak who hears voices and judges the world. I am not very religious at all, in fact, and am more often the one being judged for not having better judgment - at least as the 'Christian' world judges things.
To understand my journey you need to know what I believe.
I believe that there is one decision in life that is the most important decision facing every human being ever born. The decision to follow Jesus Christ or not. All other decisions pale in comparison; no, they become almost transparent by comparison.
I am just a human being that believes in a single, Holy God who created humanity to glorify Him. We failed. Even though the first humans lived in paradise with no death, disease, hunger or suffering, they were unable to resist temptation and follow a single rule. In their foolishness and desire to 'be' God (have all knowledge), they were deceived by a fallen angel, Lucifer, in the form of a snake. They gave in to temptation, disobeyed the one rule they had and separated themselves from God. They earned a curse for all humanity - us. They were expelled from paradise. Future generations would suffer hunger, death, illness, pain... and have to pay for their sins against God by blood. That is, by sacrificing animals.
Not a very hopeful inheritance for us, right? Sure, He could have just wiped us all out as a Creation and started over. But, there was something in us that He loved dearly. Rather than condemn us to certain death - eternity without Him, He permitted a part of Himself - one in mind but separate in body thus fully man and fully God, to be born to a virgin here on Earth. Now, how'd that happen? Who knows! He is God - Eternal - and definitely beyond my puny comprehension. I would like to ask when I get there, though.
In the person of His son, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on Earth. He was tempted by the same things that we face today: fear, lust, hunger, power... But, He didn't give in. He was the perfect, spotless, untarnished sacrifice - the Lamb of God.
He was betrayed, tortured and killed by crucifixion. Could He have called down the angels of Heaven of God Himself to save Him? I believe so, yes. But, He knew that the only way that humanity could possibly have eternal life after death and be in the presence of a just and Holy God was through His sacrifice. Even in His last breath, He asked for our forgiveness. He died for all of us.
Had He simply died, it would have been a valiant death and Jesus a man worthy of praise. But, that is not how it was to end. If He were truly fully God, and truly Eternal, He could not die. You can't kill an Eternal God. On the third day after His death, witnessed by many, He rose from the dead. It is documented that He was seen by many people, many whom had witnessed His death. He conquered death. He is fully God, eternal.
He ascended into Heaven, to prepare a place for all believers, and will return one day to claim His people. God did not leave us alone, though, once Christ returned to Heaven. He left a part of Himself with us in the form of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit becomes a part of every person who becomes a believer in Christ the moment that he or she accepts Christ as his/her savior.
So - what's that do for us today? Here's what I believe...
We all sin. I sin. We have inherited a legacy of depravity handed down since the first sin and the battle between serving ourselves and obeying the will of God is very real and present in us. What is sin? Anything that goes against the will of God. What's the will of God? We really can only know His character, His will, by reading the Bible. But, there is in every single human a sense of right and wrong. You have felt it... even young children never exposed to a moral code feel it. Sometimes, it is a small voice, an inner 'nagging' that tells us we are right or wrong by appealing to our conscious. The Holy Spirit is not limited to being a small, inner voice though. It is, after all, a part of God who is limitless.
We can't do lots of good work to have eternal life after death. It isn't enough to 'be a good person' or to just 'never kill anyone'. The gift of Eternal life purchased for us through the death of Christ is free to anyone who will: 1.) Acknowledge that you are a sinner, in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. 2.) Believe that Christ is the only way to eternal life after death in Heaven with God, the Creator, the One True God. 2.) Pray. Ask forgiveness for your sins against God and turn away from the sin (repent). It isn't enough to ask forgiveness and keep doing it. True Christianity requires that you turn away from the sin. You are going to slip up, we all do and no one is perfect. But, you have to leave the sinful ways behind. You do not have to 'clean up' your life before you accept Christ as your Savior... but you do have to - and will want to - change your life afterward. (And you will have divine help in doing just that!)
Believe me, my life was NOT that of a virtuous, honest young maiden skipping innocently through the garden of life. Who I am today, through Christ, is not who I was without Him - and I am still learning and changing.
You will not automatically be transformed into a perfect individual with never a stressful moment in life. But, you have accepted Christ and the Holy Spirit will become a part of you. Your life will change - you will change - from the inside out. You will face struggles, temptation and pain - salvation does not make us immune to the curse on the Earth for the disobedience of our ancient parents. But, you will have hope in knowing that God has it under control. He knows every struggle. “All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Once you have accepted Christ, your desire is to learn more about this God that you serve. Start by reading the Bible, joining a local church group, and pray. Prayer is simply talking to God just as you would talk to your Father. It doesn't have to be through another person or performed with great ceremony. Just talk... he knows your heart without the fancy words.
As He starts opening your eyes to areas of sin in your life, and there will be areas of sin, you should confess those sins, ask forgiveness and turn away from them. In time, you will not desire to to those things anymore.
As your relationship grows deeper, you will become aware of things that are keeping you from serving your full potential for His glory. This is where things get a little more uncomfortable. This is the place that tells you, as a mother for example, that your priority is the care of your family and home and not that great career that takes you away from home 50 hours a week. It tells you, as a father, that you have the responsibility to be the spiritual leader in your home and not leave it to your wife.
Lots of folks will not like those statements. It doesn't make them any less true.
So - now that you know what I believe to be true, I will continue with my story.
I am in that place now in my relationship with Christ that requires me to put up or shut up. My prayer has been, for a long time, to change my life so that I will hear - while standing before God in Heaven - 'well done, good and faithful servant'. That is my life's goal. But, that requires me to live a life very counter-culture to the world today. I thought I had surrendered everything to Him... but, He's showing me that I am still holding on to the ideas of this fallen World.
Here's the dilemma in a nutshell. We are created to glorify God. We are instructed, as Christians, to spread the message of salvation so that others may be saved, too. That is the most important job we can ever do. (Not go beat folks with a Bible until they pray for repentance out of fear or frustration or just to shut us up. Not to go to bed feeling guilty because no one was 'converted' by you that day. But to tell people about God's love, Jesus Christ and His offer for eternal life and let God work on their hearts and bring them to a decision. We plant the seed, God makes it grow or wither away.
That is life. Accept Christ. Live life to glorify God. Tell others so they can make the choice, too.
How much of our lives today - even as Christians - reflect that purpose? How are we preparing our children to live life with their primary goal being - not to get a good job and be successful - but to share the gospel of Christ?
I know that in our home, we spend a majority of the time on stuff not even close to equipping our children for that purpose and living lives that glorify God rather than ourselves and our own desires. We home-school and do spend time on studying God's Word... but our priority is NOT on Him, His Kingdom or His glory.
This post has been far too long already... I will post next week on how our family is making changes to align our priorities in life with God's will for us.
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