Content to be Miserable

One of the more popular notions going around lately is that God’s purpose or mission is not to make us happy but [Insert Godly characteristic here].

While I agree that God is not a genie in a bottle who is there to grant our wishes, I am disturbed by the notion that He does not care about our happiness or well-being. It’s as if we are saying that God will make our lives a living hell to make us more Christ-like. The more troubles, hardships and sorrows that comes our way, the better it is.

They speak of “taking up our cross” and delighting in persecution, trials, & tribulations. The more miserable our lives are the more content we are supposed to be. I believe this is a classic case of misrepresenting scripture by plucking out several verses while ignoring others. Speaking as one who has been through difficult trials, I believe God IS concerned with our happiness & well-being. He wants us to be successful & happy in this life. If we are to take Jesus Christ as the picture of our heavenly Father, I do not see a cosmic killjoy but rather someone who lived life to the fullest…laughing, spending time with friends, sharing together with family. Jesus loved being with people and providing them with “living bread” so that they too could enjoy life to the fullest.

The rain falls on the unjust as well as the just. Therefore, Christians should be the happiest people in the world. Full of joy and contentment. Knowing that our attitude in this life is a reflection on who we serve.

We are to rise above our circumstances & press on so that people can look at us and clearly see without a doubt that it was only through the power and love of Christ Jesus. All glory will be given to God because what was impossible with man is possible with God.

Gonna be rough

In the classic sitcom "Seinfeld", Elaine and her professing Christian boyfriend David Putty have the following conversation:

Elaine: David, I'm going to hell! The worst place in the world! With devils and those caves and the ragged clothing! And the heat! My god, the heat! I mean, what do you think about all that?

Puddy: Gonna be rough.

I laughed at first but sadly it hit me that I have the same cavalier attitude many times. Outside of my immediate family & friends I don't really have a broken heart for lost souls. As long as those nearest & dearest to me are saved I am content to watch the rest of the world literally go to hell.

I might think I care about a lost world but if I truly and honestly looked in my heart, wouldn't I be doing more? Wouldn't I be proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ on a daily basis to whomever God placed in my path? It sounds and looks good to go to church and talk about evangelism and outreach but at the end of the day it's either "put up or shut up"
The Bible tells us that the world will hate us because of our allegiance to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:9) I am to expect indifference and ridicule if I proclaim the good news of the Gospel. But so what? I am not living as a persecution Christian. The most that will happen is that people might laugh at me, insult me or ignore me.
It just comes down to wanting to do the hard thing voluntarily. The funny thing is that someday I might be persecuted for my beliefs and I won't have that choice.

Boom!

This is a great article:

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001726.cfm

Ever been thinking about something and couldn't quite put it all together until someone helped? Well, this piece by Alex & Brett Harris did that for me. It's entitled "Do Hard Things" and really brought together everything that's been floating around my head for the past little while.

There are a plethra of notable quotables but here are some of my favourites:

"We're not just saying that you have the ability to do hard things. We're telling you that you should do hard things because it's the best and only way to experience true growth in your life."

"We can't really avoid doing hard things. We can only decide when to do them and how prepared we will be to handle the hard things life brings our way."

"Theodore Roosevelt said it well when he said, "a mere life of ease is not in the end a satisfactory life, and, above all, it is a life which ultimately unfits those who follow it for serious work in the world." Such a life is a tragedy — a wasted life."

The best though is a quote from G.K. Chesterton who said "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried."

Yes, the Christian life is hard. But that is exactly what people are searching for. Not a life of ease & comfort but a challenging life where you step out and confront the world head on.

I often wondered how the Apostle Paul could say that he has learned to be content in every situation and be filled with such joy & peace. It was because he was living the hard life and kept growing and growing spiritually until he was actually living the best life.

Things like playing the piano or learning new languages don't come about through slackness or indifference. They happen after much hard practice. By committing to a schedule and sticking with it. Likewise, you can only mature & grow as a Christian after lots of hard work and putting into practice what you've learned.
Paul said it best when he compared the Christian life to an athlete training:

"You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself." --1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message)

Happy Birthday William Booth

Well, 179 years ago today, General William Booth was born. It has long been the popular discussion in Salvationist circles to ask "What would William Booth think about our Army today?" We have churches where the only way to know it's not 1865 is through the lack of bonnets and high-collar uniforms and churches where the uniform is shunned and coffee, jeans and a t-shirt are the order of the day. We have all sorts of books on how to be a "real" Salvationist. We have schools which will give you book smarts and schools which will give your street smarts.
I have attended and participated in forums, symposiums, discussion groups. Corps council meetings, you name it. And what I see is an Army divided. An Army that has lost its edge and will to fight. A quick browse through the annual Army yearbook confirms this. It is not in the old strongholds of the UK, Canada, USA, & Australia where the Army thrives but in places like India, Pakistan, Ghana, & South Africa. The Army in the former is characterized by staunch, rigid people who place so many restrictions and regulations on things that they remind me of the Pharisees. The Army in the so-called developed world with all of our prosperity and resources has nothing to show for it but declining numbers and closed buildings. The latter places though are booming as Salvationists get their hands dirty and confront the forces of evil head on. They do not spend their time forming committees to look after committees or debating whether or not women soldiers should be allowed to wear pants instead of skirts.

If you want to see General Booth's Army, simply look to our "less-fortunate" territories & commands.

God: 1 Devil: 0

As I prepare to preach my first message here in Germany, I am acutely aware of my own failings and shortcomings. It seems everytime I preach, I hear a voice that tells me that I am a fraud and that it is a sham to preach about that which I struggle with. Who am I to teach others when I really have so many questions & doubts myself? If I get up and speak of living holy lives and obeying the voice of God, I know that I do not always do that.

Fortunately, the Lord is constantly reminding me of the lies of the enemy and gave me these words of encouragement from an article on boundless recently:

"Detachment does not mean that we shouldn't care about what happens; it means that we are responsible for faithfulness, not for success. I teach as well as I can. Sometimes the teaching takes and sometimes it doesn't. Of course, I want it to take. But I am much more content when I concentrate on whether or not I have been faithful to the tasks I've been given, not on whether Joe Schmoe has actually learned."

I may not be the best speaker . I may not be the model Christian. But I am aware of my total dependency on Jesus Christ. And if He grants me the opportunity to preach of His saving grace, I want to be faithful. I will be faithful.

"When the time comes, say what's on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you." --Mark 13:11 (The Message)

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