An ordinary life
Posted in enthusiasm, Following God, Misti's Posts 0 comments
I am a Family Life Today junkie. Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine's interviews with people whose lives have been touched by God in a big way are exciting and addictive. Whether a prodigal returning to do the work of Christ or a grass-roots ministry doing extraordinary things in communities, the stories are always amazing. In the recent past I can recall hearing about the grandson of Billy Graham who abused drugs and broke relationship with his family, an associate pastor whose marriage was on the rocks for the better part of 10 years, and a man committed to purity whose first kiss was on his wedding day. All of these stories included redemption and grace-and an extraordinary life.
To be honest, 'amazing' doesn't even begin to describe the feeling these stories evoke. It's so uplifting to hear stories of how God is still working miracles in our time, and very encouraging to know that He is still using the weak to lead the strong and the sinner to reach the world with the Gospel.
There's just one thing that nags at me: if I am this kind of sinner who has been radically changed by God's love, why is my life so ordinary? I teach Sunday school, I sing in the choir, I volunteer in the youth group; but my story is not one that anyone would be interested to hear about on the radio. I have never started a ministry nor have I ever been part of anything particularly 'world-altering'. And I can't help but hope there's more out there for me. In fact, I NEED there to be more.
The cold truth of this situation is that 'amazing' is hard work, and I like my comfort. Just like millions of others, I enjoy air conditioning, television and quiet time. I value 8 hours (at least) of sleep, and wi-fi internet. I don't want to sacrifice my free time to do something physically or emotionally demanding.
Unfortunately, God's work is both of those things. He tells us outright in Luke 9: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Homelessness can't be fixed with a phone call. The gospel shared over Skype doesn't have the same impact as face-to-face. We can't serve others if we're too busy serving ourselves. We're also sure never to find God's passion for our lives if we don't go out into the world and try some ministries on.
God does not want us to settle for an ordinary life, and when we try to override His will for us, we will be left empty. Our hearts will always desire something more, and we will never be able to fully experience His peace and joy. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.-John 10:10. It really comes down to a single choice: to follow Christ, or not to follow Him. The first path leads us to adventure and fulfillment (and yes-some hard work), and the second leads us to continually search for these things in vain. Which would you prefer?
To be honest, 'amazing' doesn't even begin to describe the feeling these stories evoke. It's so uplifting to hear stories of how God is still working miracles in our time, and very encouraging to know that He is still using the weak to lead the strong and the sinner to reach the world with the Gospel.
There's just one thing that nags at me: if I am this kind of sinner who has been radically changed by God's love, why is my life so ordinary? I teach Sunday school, I sing in the choir, I volunteer in the youth group; but my story is not one that anyone would be interested to hear about on the radio. I have never started a ministry nor have I ever been part of anything particularly 'world-altering'. And I can't help but hope there's more out there for me. In fact, I NEED there to be more.
The cold truth of this situation is that 'amazing' is hard work, and I like my comfort. Just like millions of others, I enjoy air conditioning, television and quiet time. I value 8 hours (at least) of sleep, and wi-fi internet. I don't want to sacrifice my free time to do something physically or emotionally demanding.
Unfortunately, God's work is both of those things. He tells us outright in Luke 9: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Homelessness can't be fixed with a phone call. The gospel shared over Skype doesn't have the same impact as face-to-face. We can't serve others if we're too busy serving ourselves. We're also sure never to find God's passion for our lives if we don't go out into the world and try some ministries on.
God does not want us to settle for an ordinary life, and when we try to override His will for us, we will be left empty. Our hearts will always desire something more, and we will never be able to fully experience His peace and joy. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.-John 10:10. It really comes down to a single choice: to follow Christ, or not to follow Him. The first path leads us to adventure and fulfillment (and yes-some hard work), and the second leads us to continually search for these things in vain. Which would you prefer?
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