- Sep 29, 2022
- 399
- 100
- 35
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Isn't it wonderful to live in such times where we have more (in terms of material wealth) than ever before in history?
We are surrounded by so much luxury, food, excess, pleasures, technology that makes our lives better, and overall more
advanced.
I don't know whether this is actually supposed to be a good thing or not. The Bible often mentions as a metaphor and
maybe not literally, that it is better to cut off your hand that sins and enter heaven than to not cut off and enter hell.
Same goes with gouging out your eyes or something like that. Now obviously Jesus is not saying literally to cut off your hand
because you can't stop stealing or to gouge out your eyes because you can't stop lusting. The point is we have to make sacrifices
in our flesh because it is more important that we enter heaven (be saved) than to care for our flesh but only to die and go to hell.
I've met a lot of Christians these days who seem to be falling into this trap. They are more interested in working, building their career,
so they can make more money, and then travel the world and have such amazing experiences and good times. There's nothing wrong
with having a good time and enjoying the beauty the world has to offer, but if it's more important than Jesus, then maybe we're doing
this all wrong and being lulled into this trap of comfort, excess, and pleasures (happiness).
When I see the lives of missionaries, I cannot express how much I believe the way they are living their lives is the truest form of Christ-like
living. We are all called to spread the gospel but maybe we aren't all called to be missionaries specifically although many would argue
that you don't have to live in a foreign country giving your life to foreign peoples to be a missionary. You can be a missionary in your
own home, community, workplace, church, neighborhood while holding down a regular job and having a regular social life.
I'm afraid most of us are getting it wrong. Pursuing a life where you can travel the world to take beautiful videos and pictures to post on
your social media rather than say traveling the world to evangelize and serve Christ seems wrong. We'd rather work hard at our jobs/careers
(for the point of promotions and career advancement because it means higher pay which leads to more pleasures you can have in this life)
rather than working harder to earn more money for God and his mission. I would be the first person to admit I fall in this category.
I met a pastor recently who basically gives everything he has to God's service and his family. He doesn't seek to pleasure himself with indulgences
this world has to offer. His labor job he says he works so that whatever he earns he puts right back into the mission work God has given him.
When I see this, it makes me feel like he's got it so right and living for God but the rest of us who say we are Christians and go to church don't
show the same fruit like this man. We're just saving up so we can travel to Europe next summer or the tropics next winter but we say we are
Christ followers? Are we following Christ to those white sandy beaches with pina colodas in our hands sun bathing in a recliner?? That doesn't
sound like something Christ would do in his free time. So why do we?
We are surrounded by so much luxury, food, excess, pleasures, technology that makes our lives better, and overall more
advanced.
I don't know whether this is actually supposed to be a good thing or not. The Bible often mentions as a metaphor and
maybe not literally, that it is better to cut off your hand that sins and enter heaven than to not cut off and enter hell.
Same goes with gouging out your eyes or something like that. Now obviously Jesus is not saying literally to cut off your hand
because you can't stop stealing or to gouge out your eyes because you can't stop lusting. The point is we have to make sacrifices
in our flesh because it is more important that we enter heaven (be saved) than to care for our flesh but only to die and go to hell.
I've met a lot of Christians these days who seem to be falling into this trap. They are more interested in working, building their career,
so they can make more money, and then travel the world and have such amazing experiences and good times. There's nothing wrong
with having a good time and enjoying the beauty the world has to offer, but if it's more important than Jesus, then maybe we're doing
this all wrong and being lulled into this trap of comfort, excess, and pleasures (happiness).
When I see the lives of missionaries, I cannot express how much I believe the way they are living their lives is the truest form of Christ-like
living. We are all called to spread the gospel but maybe we aren't all called to be missionaries specifically although many would argue
that you don't have to live in a foreign country giving your life to foreign peoples to be a missionary. You can be a missionary in your
own home, community, workplace, church, neighborhood while holding down a regular job and having a regular social life.
I'm afraid most of us are getting it wrong. Pursuing a life where you can travel the world to take beautiful videos and pictures to post on
your social media rather than say traveling the world to evangelize and serve Christ seems wrong. We'd rather work hard at our jobs/careers
(for the point of promotions and career advancement because it means higher pay which leads to more pleasures you can have in this life)
rather than working harder to earn more money for God and his mission. I would be the first person to admit I fall in this category.
I met a pastor recently who basically gives everything he has to God's service and his family. He doesn't seek to pleasure himself with indulgences
this world has to offer. His labor job he says he works so that whatever he earns he puts right back into the mission work God has given him.
When I see this, it makes me feel like he's got it so right and living for God but the rest of us who say we are Christians and go to church don't
show the same fruit like this man. We're just saving up so we can travel to Europe next summer or the tropics next winter but we say we are
Christ followers? Are we following Christ to those white sandy beaches with pina colodas in our hands sun bathing in a recliner?? That doesn't
sound like something Christ would do in his free time. So why do we?