But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
-Philippians 3:7-8
There has been an idea floating around in my life in the last few days that I have been thinking about and I don't know that I actually have any answers or anything of worth to offer but I feel like perhaps if I talk about it, I will feel better or maybe someone has some insight to give. I've been reading Stacey Rich's blog for probably about a year now (check it out in the sidebar). I don't know her but I feel like I do (amazing how the internet thing works, huh?). She is reading a book right now called No Perfect People Allowed (brother Big Mike also recommends it). In reading this book, she has posted some questions, thoughts, what-have-you on some fairly heavy God/Christianity/Jesus stuff. One of the questions she brought up was "What about other religions? What about people who have never heard about Jesus? Yeah, I got lucky and was raised in a home where I was taught about Jesus -- but what if I'd grown up in Saudi Arabia or something? What then?". The same conversation came up with a couple of students yesterday at work. I guess it's been on people's minds lately. So, yeah, what then? Why was I born here and not somewhere else? How is it fair that not everyone has the opportunity to know about Christ if he really is the one and only way to God? I guess the only answer for me at this point is: I don't know. I don't know why this is the way the dice fell (I'm guessing it isn't a matter of dice falling to God but it is to me) for me.
This answer raises these next questions for me: What am I going to do about it? What am I going to do with the information I have about Christ? Am I going to make my goal in life creating a comfortable existence in suburbia or take risks and be bold and make sure that other people are afforded the opportunity to know Christ? A gentleman responded on her post today about religiousity and how we have harmed people with our arrogance, intolerance, etc. I think it can apply to these ideas as well. Here is what he said: The "Truth in Love (Grace)" angle would say, "First of all, I don't have all the answers, and I am a flawed human being in need of a Road of Truth…in need of grace and salvation. Through my life, in everything I've tried to fill with the Truth-shaped hole, I keep finding that Jesus is the only Road that is undeniably the all-encompassing, FULL-FILLING way or truth that fits perfectly in that hole....and here's part of my life story to explain why."
As I learn more and more about Christ, I am acutely aware of how my life is no longer my own when I choose him. I have to be changed or the cross was all in vein. My life has to be about Christ and making him my treasure, above all things on this earth. Above relationships for my own pleasure, above financial comfort, above personal praise and recognition, above what my desires are for my life. I must be bold and passionate about Christ. This is what it means to live. This is what each of us was created for. Knowing all of this, there are character traits that I need to change. I need to be more loving towards people I don't want to love, I need to forgive those who have hurt me, I need to tear down the wall that protects me from vulnerability (which doesn't really protect me anyway) and the fear that my vulnerabilities will be used against me. I need to stay in the word so that my zeal will not grow old.
The more time I spend in the word, the more I crave it and oh, how I don't want to lose that! I need it. My life has never felt more complete than when I am with him.
I need to get home, so, I will hopefully have more to share later. Oh, the post that I did about feeling aimless in life, all of these thoughts have helped me to not feel so aimless. Now, I just need to get off my butt and make the necessary changes. My life is good. I have Christ. I don't need anything else. My purpose is to make much of Christ. I have to allow him to change me. I think it's working. I'm a work in progress. I will probably be on here next week however with a "woah is me story". Isn't life funny? At least I know this much about who I am. I am flawed and messed up but He saw something worth dying for.
Be blessed.
4 comments:
Andrew and I have had this conversation many times...especially after going to Africa.
If we would have been born somewhere else, our entire outlook on life would be different; everything would be different.
That's why God is so cool--because He is above and beyond cultural boundaries and He understands you no matter where you are coming from. It's great to know that we don't need to change people to be like us, but just tell them why we feel so blessed...Jesus. Then, they can accept Him and feel the same blessings too!
Another response is to support (if I don't go myself) heavily the missionaries who are willing to go out in the world and spread the gospel. We need to make the mission field a top priority (at home and abroad).
funny, or ironic, or cooincidental, whatever you want to paint it. i just re-read the poisonwood bible. one of the themes in the book is the supposedly godless people of the congo. it is such a powerful book. mega powerful. i really struggle with the idea that people who never had the chance to know jesus being condemned.
but then, me being me, i always have to take things a step further (no rebecca, not just with jokes in bad taste, hee hee). just because people in america (just using that as the example because it's where i live, it would apply to other countries as well, espcially most of the uk) have the opportunity to go to church, pass by church buildings on their daily commute, are lambasted with "wwjd" bumper stickers and jesus fish, etc. doesn't mean that they ever had the chance to "know" jesus, either.
am i sinning by building my circle of friends with christ followers? is inviting the mother of the little boy i watch to church evangalism? does the jesus fish on my car even matter? or does it cause my brother to stumble when i accidentally cut him off in traffic and he experiences road rage?
thanks alot rebecca, thanks a real whole lot for all of this i have to ponder now i reeeeaaaally appreciate it (wink wink, you know i totally do.).
The only thing I can think of as an somewhat answer is that we should (as Christians) try our hardest to spread our love of Christ and information to as many people as possible. Even if we don't physically go somewhere some one we have have talked to in passing or conversed with in the past may go some where and share the love of God. I want whomever I talked to to know what God's love is about and the amazing things he can do for us.
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