I want you...

I wish I could understand all that has happened in my life the last two weeks.  Between trying to figure out this pilgrimage in January, and watching life happen whether I want it to or not, I believe myself unable to put organized thought around its meaning.  Either way, it usually isn’t until weeks or months later that things begin to make sense. 

Just like every “season”, there are themes or lessons that stand out in all of the disorganization, the distractions, and the excitement and adventure.  This week’s, or season’s, lesson:  I want you.

If you are like me, you find yourself desiring to understand how to live life in accordance with the gospel.  Trying to be intentional with time spent with others and wrestling with so many questions.  How am I called to live?  In what ways is my life reflecting God?  How do I challenge other people to better know Jesus?  Ironically, I usually forget to seek Jesus on these issues, and in my pursuit of others, I often find Jesus pursuing me. 

Yes, it is soooo important to pursue lasting relationships with others, both like-minded Christians and those who don’t share your spiritual convictions.  That was Jesus’ ministry, but he also found significant time to spend with the Father.  I often find myself forgetting to pursue Christ, and fill it pursuing others.  That’s where He usually speaks, “I want you,” in some form or fashion.  Side-note: I do need to give credit to Chris for this beautiful reminder. 

A good friend shared a message from John 15:1-8 last night, such wisdom.  To be useful servants of Christ we need to remain connected to the core of our faith, Jesus.  Can we be Jesus, without be connected to him?  Verse five is very clear, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  If our goal is to live the gospel and bear fruit, it is impossible to do it without first pursuing Jesus.  We cannot do anything for Christ, without Christ.  Not only must He be our source, He should be our focus. 

So in the middle of the busyness, disorganization, distractions, adventure, and even the pure intentions… remember this, Jesus wants us to pursue intentional time with others, but don’t forget His very important message, “I want you.”

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Risk is Right

“Risk is right.”- John Piper

I usually don’t encourage others to read a book until I have finished it, but I feel fairly confident about this one.  So if you are looking for a book with challenging theology and convicting arguments about life and purpose, you need to pick up Don’t Waste Your Life, by John Piper.  I’ll probably wait to finish the book to give my complete list of thoughts, but there has been one chapter that I just have to write about.  Now.

Throughout the book, John Piper has been speaking to many of my current convictions and feelings about American culture and American church culture.   He has encouraged the many questions I have been asking about my own life and their need to be asked, by everyone.  Am I pursuing a prosperous life that God wishes for me, or am I imposing what my own beliefs of what it means to be prosperous?  Am I grasping the magnitude of what God has purposed me for, or am I distracted by a comfortable life or this “enchantment of security” that John Piper says so many of us fall into?  Do I truly believe that God will prepare and provide for me, or do I need to be constantly worrying about my immediate needs?  Do I think my constant preparation for the future is to glorify God, or am I trying to minimize risk of living uncomfortably? 

That is just the short list…  I have had so many questions running through my head this last year that I don’t feel this list does it justice, but that’s not the focus.  The commonality among all these questions is asking on some level if I am living life in accordance with the Gospel?  For me I feel like my life is too safe, to easy, lacking too man relationships with hurting and broken people, and too risk free to “fit” into the pages of the New Testament.  This is why John Piper’s simple statement struck such a chord in my life.

Friends, “Risk is right”. 

“On the far side of every risk–even if it results in death—the love of God triumphs.  This is the faith that frees us to risk for the cause of God.  It is not heroism, or lust for adventure, or courageous self-reliance, or efforts to earn God’s favor.  It is childlike faith in the triumph of God’s love—that on the other side of all our risks, for the sake of righteousness, God will still be holding us.  We will be eternally satisfied in Him.  Nothing will have been wasted.” [emphasis added]

(Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper)

This may just be me, but I believe my call to follow Christ has been distracted by my comfort bubble too long, avoiding risk like we avoid that awkward admirer… the knowing that they are there but hoping that if you ignore them long enough maybe they’ll just go away, kind of thing.   If I truly let the God of the Bible prepare and provide for me, as he constantly promises, I think I would be willing to risk a little more for His sake and making His glory known. 

Friends, it is my hope that we can help each other learn to risk it all for the sake of Christ, sooner rather than later.  Today I ask you to consider the things that are keeping us from living the Gospel; only we can answer these questions for ourselves.  We have been given only one life; let’s not waste it. 

Romans 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.