Tuesday, August 9, 2011

What are three things you can't live without?

       What are three things that you can't live without?  I am sure many of you upon reading the title to this blog are beginning to determine what three things you would say you can't live without.  I am sure I have answered this question, or questions similar to it, in the past, but the most recent time I heard this question it really, really, bothered me.  I was listening to Christian radio and the DJ asked this question.  A listener called in and answered it by saying.....  Faith, family, friends.  The DJ followed up by saying, if you could choose one more what would it be.  The listener responded by saying, "KTIS" (that was the radio station I was listening to).  While the DJ and listener laughed and the next song began to play I was left not laughing but instead feeling deeply saddened and troubled by the question.  "What are three things you can't live without?" should never be a question that we as Christians ask, and if we answer, we should not be able to come up with numbers 2 and 3.
       The reason that this question so deeply disturbed me is because as Christians there is only one thing that we truly cannot live without and that is the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ that restores our broken relationship with the God of the universe.  That is the ONLY thing that we cannot live without.  As soon as we began to add to the list, we are saying that a relationship with the God of the universe is not enough, and that my friend is a very dangerous place to be.  God is enough, and always will be enough. As great as family, friends, money, jobs and on and on are, you can live without all of them because God is enough.  Praying that you and I would realize that God is enough regardless of what else happens in this life.  GOD IS ENOUGH!!!!
       So the next time we are asked the question what are three (or two, or ten) things you cannot live without may you simply respond by saying, "God"  God is the only thing I cannot live without and because of Jesus Christ, I have God and HE IS ENOUGH!!!!!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

What is your goal in life???

       If you were asked what is your goal in life, what would you answer be?  If you were asked what is your goal in marriage, what would your answer be?  What is your goal in parenting?  What is your goal professionally?  What is your goal in life?  Do you ask yourself those questions?  Do you think about that? I hope so, because it really, really matters.  Whatever you goal in life is, regardless of this being a formal or informal goal, will determine how you live your life day in and day out!  It will set standards by which you will decide if you have failed or succeeded in any given task.  It will also determine if you will continue at something, or will simply move onto the next thing.  So determining what you goal in life, is of extreme importance.
       As Christians, Scripture makes it very clear what our goal in life should be.  2 Corinthians 5:9, "So we make it our goal to please God."  Pleasing God, or glorifying God, or making God look great, that should be our goal in life.  I was reading the book Sacred Marriage this morning and reminded of the importance of having, "Pleasing God" as the goal of our life.  Since it is the goal of our life, it will be the goal of our marriage, parenting, work, and on and on we could go.  Gary Thomas states, "The first purpose in marriage- beyond happiness, sexual expression, the bearing of children, companionship, mutual care and provision, or anything else- is to please God.  The challenge, of course, is that it is utterly selfless living; rather than asking, 'What will make me happy?'  we are told that we must ask, 'What will make God happy?'"  In all aspects of life, pleasing God, should be our goal.  We will not reach perfection this side of eternity, but how much different would all of our lives be if we became much more accustomed to asking the question, "Will this please God?" in all areas of our life?
       So will you join me in setting your goal in life to please God in all you do?  May we all begin to ask the question, "Will this please God?" a whole lot more!  As we do I am convinced that we will see change in our life as our attitudes, desires, and passions align themselves more and more with God's attitudes, desires, and passions!  "So we make it our goal to please God."