"Love: Noun it ... Verb it!"
When measuring our success as a Christian I think we need to develop a matrix that is framed in love because Christianity is a relationship and not religion, per se. The goal of Christianity is defined by Jesus Christ as "Abiding in Christ ... Abiding in love" (John 15). This is how God defines success in Christian living. This is the divine target, "the yardstick," if you will, that we must use to measure our success as a Christian.
When considering a "rubric" for our Christianity I like what the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians in his first letter. He says, "...do not pass judgement before its time...but wait for the Lord to bring things to light... He will disclose motives and heart... then each man's praise will come to him from God" (4:3-5) NICE! God is the one whom we will answer to, so why not let Him dispense whatever praise we receive? It should be on His terms, not ours.
What are God's expectations for our success ... our daily focus? Consider four questions to this end. One, Are you being faithful? In Matthew 25:14-23 Jesus is telling the story that we know today as the parable of the talents. He concludes this section of scripture with the words, "Well done good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things ... enter in to the joy of your master." What could the "few things" be? Well, Jesus mentions "rest" and "joy," just to name a few. Maybe He wants us to stop striving to make the relationship grow and simply rest in His love and presence. Are you being faithful in this way?
Two, Are you bearing fruit? Be a fruit inspector ... Is the fruit of the Holy Spirit present in your life? Invite God to be your "husbandman" and prune and groom you into greater fruitfulness for His glory and the growth in ytour relationship with Him (Galatians 5:22-23). Don't sweat it ... just trust His leadership and direction in this area.
Three, ask yourself, "Am I fulfilled? Full of what? Joy, of course. Matthew 25:23 says that "faithfulness" leads joy; In John 15:11 Jesus said, "I have spoken to you so that your joy may be full; In Luke 10:17 we read where the 70 returned from faithful service "full of joy!" Let joy serve as a barometer in helping to discern your success as a Christian.
Four, "Are you making God famous with your life?" Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "To let our light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Whatever it is your sense God leading you to do in or with your life, let your motivation be to allow Jesus to shine through you! Shine Jesus shine. Fill this land with the Father's glory ... SWEET!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Adrian
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I've enjoyed reading this series and the comments that have come with it. It so parallels our Wed. eve. class. To ask the question "is it okay to desire to be great in God's eyes?" Being successful, or great pushes us beyond being content with mediocrity. Being the perfectionist that I am, this creates a struggle for me. The thing that makes it all work for me is not worrying about it! I have set my eye on the goal and choose not to look back or to the side. To evaluate myself causes me to spend time eyeballing my life. I can be too critical or too proud, neither of which are desirous. To live a life worthy of our calling is to simply act on what we are called to do. Not search for what we are called to do, but act as we are directed. That doesn't mean saying yes to everyone and anything that comes at us, nor does it mean rejecting everything because we haven't heard loudly from God. Priorities are everything. God first, my family second and the rest falls in line after that. My family is a calling that is easy to cast off to chase after "God's will". Being faithful in the little things -- what is little? Could that be the things that we need to do from day to day to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us? Our wives, our kids, our flock? It's not taking anything for granted! That parable about the talents is powerful! Thanks for the good words bro!
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your heart. Good words. I am honored to have you in my life.
Measuring our lives is an aspect of Western thought. The "summing up" of our lives is a sign that the perfect peace of Christ has not taken root, replacing the seed of "self".
ReplyDeleteI struggle with the "verb" aspect in this thread. "Doing" is the opposite of "being". If I consciously have to act a certain way, that doesn't come naturally, that is not rest, it is work. If my "being" is the Life of Christ, the doing of Agape will be the natural issuance of my existance. Unknown to me consciously, He pours Himself through me.
Jesus must bring us to a place of abject failure. Where everything we rely upon is found to be futile. All must be surrendered, even the good, even our faith.
Then we will meet the Person. Then He can work His Love into us. If only we would stop fidgeting and hold still long enough to let HIm.
Only through the brokenness of total failure can His strength be glorified in our bodies.
Carry on!
Narrow,
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Jesus, Paul and Peter were Western in thought and they all spoke of doing. What say you to that?
Also, you said, "the doing of Agape will be the natural issuance of my existance. Unknown to me consciously." If you practice this "unconscious" love in human relationships then your wife, kids and friends may be left "wanting and longing." One could assume the same for Jesus, couldn't one?
Perhaps we should actually read and try to understand the meaning of these comments.
ReplyDeleteI wrote that "measuring our lives" is an aspect of western thought, not "doing".
Jesus, Peter and Paul also spoke of "being". The "doing" should flow from the being, no? Or is it a matter of just "doing" for the sake of "doing"?(A tenet of westernism).
Are we to bear the burden in our conscious thought of keeping those in our lives from "ever" wanting or longing? Are we to strive to continually fulfill the needs of others? When does this perspective become co-dependency? I remember Jesus teaching us to "serve" others, not fulfill them.
To practice something is to apply conscious thought and application. Wow, are you western, I'm gonna get you a Hoss hat!
Tell me, how does one "practice" love? How do you practice loving me?
Did Jesus "consciously" love those around Him or, in His oneness with the Father, did He love naturally? This is a vital quetion for we are commanded to love as He did.
What if "loving" was as natural as breathing? What if Jesus offers us a "oneness" so intimate that our unconcsious loving is Him loving perfectly thru us?
I want to love naturally. If my nature is to love than "being" becomes "doing" as I live. If my nature is to love than all I do is love.
Perhaps some are able to consciously love Jesus, a spouse, kids, friends, strangers, enemies, neighbors, country, planet, motorcycle, Jeep, food, pets, sex,........ etc. I can't.
My brain doesn't work that way.
I'll love Jesus with ALL my heart, soul, mind, and strength and rest in trusting Him to love thru me, those in my life, using me when He sees fit.
I'm sorry, that's the best I can "do".
Carry on!
Does the yeast of the Pharisee ever infect our verbing love?