Not sure where this is from or what inspired me to write it, but I ran across this in my journal:
"It is not a life of faith if one is engaged in the work of God. It is not about position, titles, or volunteerism; it is about being active in making God known to those who do not."
So many church goers would say they are living a life of faith or some equivalent form of that saying. I wonder how many really are. In hearing and reading church folk it seems that way more are concerned about their own personal preferences, comfort, and desires. If the music is too new, too old, too loud, too quiet they complain. If the preacher wears a tie, doesn't wear a tie, shouts, doesn't shout, preaches series, preaches verse by verse, preaches from a script, from notes, from memory people gripe and complain. Folks leave churches over the color chosen to paint something. People get upset over and announcement that was made. Folks fight over who gets recognition. People are offended if they weren't personally greeted by the pastor or some other leader. Offenses, gripes, complaints, confrontations, pouting, quitting, and so on are all signs (fruits) of a life that is not living in faith. Rather, these are all fruits of a life living in self.
What would happen if we became less focused on what makes us feel good and comfortable and we started working to help others find the love of God even when it is outside of our comfort zone and preferences?
I think things would change in this world.
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At the least, to answer your question, I think things would change in that church-body that would embrace a life of radical faith.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this, bro. Reminds me of both Romans 1:25 and 2 Timothy 4:3. The former, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator...", the latter, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."
We're still fashioning idols, they just look a bit different. Sometimes now we fashion idols in the form of a particular kind of pastor or preacher. The question for people in ministry, I think, should be "Am I making disciples of Christ or of myself?" Or, "Are people coming to our church/group because the carpet is nice, the bathrooms clean, the flowers trimmed and whathaveyou, or are they coming into this body of believers because the fragrance of Christ is intoxicatingly penetrating every inch of our being, radiating His glory to all things and men?"