Enough
Life in the Kingdom of God is full of spiritual battles here on planet earth. It is easy to discern things going on around us and discern all that we would like to change. The kicker is we can only change our own heart.
Many believers have decided to just live life on the sidelines spiritually because it seems to hurt less and costs little. It is the “entertain me please and don’t ask me to commit to anything” type of Christianity. It seems safe, feels good, and is focused on me.
The problem with easy Christianity is that life happens. Storms come and the winds of change blow in and then entertainment is not enough. There is no one to entertain us when it comes back to the hard knocks of life alone in the dark.
That is where a spiritual decision must be made. Is what I have with God real when it comes back to just me and Him? Is my Bible enough or can I sing “It is Well with My Soul” when I am all alone and all the fluff is stripped away? Do I depend on people to make me feel, or am I running to God desperate for Him? Am I critical or Christ-like? Do I feel compelled to know the Word until my Bible falls apart or is my life falling apart because I have depended on an experience.
You see, we live in a confusing time spiritually. No man, mission, ministry or mantra is going to create enough of an experience for us to live on long-term. God can use all those tools, but what we need today more than anything else is the living, loving Lord Jesus. We need to make a decision to go on with God no matter what those around us choose of don’t choose. Our eyes need to be fixed on the “Author and Finisher of Our Faith” not the problems or people surrounding us.
You see, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, then we can look past the problems and with compassion see people with potential. We can love like Jesus loves. We can live like Jesus lives. We can forgive like Jesus forgives. And we can long for what Jesus longs for.
Making a spiritual difference takes focus, surrender, vision, purpose, perseverance and daily desperation for the heart of Christ. So much of the Christian life is about simple steps of daily obedience to God. The Christian life is a journey, not a destination. It is a life of daily denial of self and daily surrender to our Savior. It is personal and it should permeate way past Sunday.
To the religious Jesus said, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions(Mark 7:9 NIV84)." To the crowd He made clear, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).” To the disciples He said, “Take courage! it is I. Don’t be afraid (Mark 6:50 NIV84).”
Studying the Gospel of Mark has taught me that the disciples were in process just as I am. They are different from the religious, the crowd, and the world because they made a decision that Jesus is enough and His every Word is true! Have you? Settling that will settle us to accept every part of life that comes our way with the confidence that Jesus is enough!
Many believers have decided to just live life on the sidelines spiritually because it seems to hurt less and costs little. It is the “entertain me please and don’t ask me to commit to anything” type of Christianity. It seems safe, feels good, and is focused on me.
The problem with easy Christianity is that life happens. Storms come and the winds of change blow in and then entertainment is not enough. There is no one to entertain us when it comes back to the hard knocks of life alone in the dark.
That is where a spiritual decision must be made. Is what I have with God real when it comes back to just me and Him? Is my Bible enough or can I sing “It is Well with My Soul” when I am all alone and all the fluff is stripped away? Do I depend on people to make me feel, or am I running to God desperate for Him? Am I critical or Christ-like? Do I feel compelled to know the Word until my Bible falls apart or is my life falling apart because I have depended on an experience.
You see, we live in a confusing time spiritually. No man, mission, ministry or mantra is going to create enough of an experience for us to live on long-term. God can use all those tools, but what we need today more than anything else is the living, loving Lord Jesus. We need to make a decision to go on with God no matter what those around us choose of don’t choose. Our eyes need to be fixed on the “Author and Finisher of Our Faith” not the problems or people surrounding us.
You see, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, then we can look past the problems and with compassion see people with potential. We can love like Jesus loves. We can live like Jesus lives. We can forgive like Jesus forgives. And we can long for what Jesus longs for.
Making a spiritual difference takes focus, surrender, vision, purpose, perseverance and daily desperation for the heart of Christ. So much of the Christian life is about simple steps of daily obedience to God. The Christian life is a journey, not a destination. It is a life of daily denial of self and daily surrender to our Savior. It is personal and it should permeate way past Sunday.
To the religious Jesus said, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions(Mark 7:9 NIV84)." To the crowd He made clear, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).” To the disciples He said, “Take courage! it is I. Don’t be afraid (Mark 6:50 NIV84).”
Studying the Gospel of Mark has taught me that the disciples were in process just as I am. They are different from the religious, the crowd, and the world because they made a decision that Jesus is enough and His every Word is true! Have you? Settling that will settle us to accept every part of life that comes our way with the confidence that Jesus is enough!
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