July 2011
Friends,
What is your goal in life? What do you ask God for most often? Is it health? Is it safety? Is it prosperity? Is it comfort? Do you sometimes think things would be so much better “if only I had a little more money each month,” or “if only I could get my car fixed,” or “if only I had a better job?” The last few weeks, God has had me thinking about the American dream of having it all. In America, we have more than enough resources to go around, yet not everyone has enough. Many that have more than enough are so comfortable they often don’t risk much to reach out to those that don’t. And, many that don’t have enough often feel that if they just had more, life would be better, they would be happier. But is either one of these right?
What does God want for us, as His children?
Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Phillippians 3:20-21 – But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
1 John 2:15-17 – Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Americans are numbed by our material wealth, both those that have it and those that don’t. Many of us in this culture are blind to eternal matters because we are so worried about getting or keeping our stuff, our material security (which is really just the illusion of security). But money, houses, cars, and nice clothes do not have eternal value. They don’t matter one bit in God’s economy. That doesn’t make them bad to have. But, if life is mostly about striving for more or striving to maintain what you have, then you are being tricked by the enemy into missing true life. Our home is not on this earth, so we should not allow ourselves to be too attached to it.
The first week of summer, our family went camping for 8 days. We were amazed at how well behaved our kids were. They didn’t argue with each other, they didn’t ask to eat until they were actually hungry, they put themselves to bed at night when they got sleepy, and they never once said “I’m bored.” It made us as parents realize that we could be giving them so much more of life if we simply give them the room to be kids and explore life without being so overly “comfortable” or distracted with stuff like TV, video games, and more than their fair share of toys. If we simplify our lives by having less, we not only have the opportunity to help others, but we are not burdened with the endless work of maintaining what we have. And we can teach our children early that this world is not their home and the deep, unquenchable longing in their hearts and in ours is for our eternal home and for our Savior.
In Mark 10, a man approaches Jesus, asking how to have eternal life.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
You may think, that doesn’t apply to me, I’m not rich. If you have food to eat and shelter and clothing, you are rich compared to most of the world. Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. Around 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. And, the question we should be asking really isn’t whether or not we’re rich, it’s whether or not we’re willing to give up whatever we have for the sake of Christ. Is our walk with God more important in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls than anything else? The man that approached Jesus in Mark 10 was not willing to give up the things of this world to follow Christ. And, Christ tells us clearly with the camel analogy, it is impossible for us to do what it takes to enter His Kingdom on our own. Like many other countless ways in this life, in this area we are in desperate need of a Savior. And in our desperation for Him, we also find our Hope.
John 14:1-3 – Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:20-22
This world is not our home. As believers in Jesus Christ, we should feel like aliens and strangers in this world. We should look like aliens and strangers. If we do not conform to the world, to this culture of American dreaming, people will ask us about the hope we have. They will want to know why we don’t find our satisfaction in things of this world. If you don’t know Jesus yet or understand for yourself how to find your satisfaction in Him, ask someone that does. They will be more than happy to tell you about it.
Much love,
Hebrews 13:16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”