Hungry again!?!

In my small group, we have been wrestling with some serious issues lately. It’s all coming to light because we desire to be authentic and transparent with each other. We are tired of seeing church as something to go do once a week. We are tired of talking about following Christ and desiring to truly follow Christ, but struggling to make it happen. None of these thoughts are new, but how often do you see them in yourself or your church? How many people do you really know who you would classify as sold out followers of Christ? I mean when you look at their life, you really see what they believe. When you look in the mirror do you see someone who treasures God’s Word, who really delights in obeying His commands? I have to admit, God has been in the process of waking me up, and the subtle ways of turning the lights on, opening the shades on the window, and nicely whispering “Good morning,” weren’t working too well. In the past two weeks I feel like He has ripped the sheets off the bed and before I froze to death I was forced to wake up.

What did I need waking up for, you ask? Good question. For a long time I lived the life of a follower of Christ, but very seldom did I appreciate His commands. Obedience is not easy. It seems that the outside world enjoys life more than the people of the church. Our culture sells us the idea that following your personal desires and “doing what feels right” is the way to live. For too many Christians, myself included, that thought process was invading my life.

Then there’s Romans 8. Especially verse 5, which hit me square in the face. I had to ask a few tough questions and didn’t like some of my answers. How much of my life is spent living according to the Spirit? What is the driving force behind most of my decisions? Am I living to please God or myself? Is my life pleasing to God? Do the decisions I make on a daily basis move me closer to being like Christ or closer to making me happy?

We often mention the freedom we have in Christ. I don’t think I fully understood that, and I’m sure I still don’t, but I’m much closer now than I used to be. I’m finding great freedom in living and walking with the One who created me. Even though is seems freeing to live any way you want, living the way you were created is much more enjoyable. Not battling against the Spirit who lives in you is great. There will always be a battle between the flesh and the Spirit, but the joy comes in that we can live according to the Spirit. We GET to obey the King, not we HAVE to. We have the ability to live satisfied content lives rather than running from one fix to another.

Don’t buy into the lie this world is telling. Following Christ doesn’t make you miss out on life, it allows you to embrace life. It moves you past fulfilling temporary appetites, and allows you to take on lifelong pursuits and truly satisfying adventures. Do you treasure hearing from God, or do you dread hearing from Him because it might take away something you enjoy? Take a look at your life this week and allow God to speak into it. Let’s start living lives that matter and lives that reflect the love of Christ to the world around us. Let’s live like we have been redeemed!