The scary thing about having "arrived" is that we turn the journey, the race, our life through eternity into a set of destinations. We are taking our eyes off the source of our lives and are placing them on a "spiritual goal" or arrival point. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with setting goals and monitoring one's spirual growth through a scriptural lens. The problem comes when we set our eyes on those around us instead of on Jesus, and when we see our arriving as a resting point or end. This is where we are failing so terribly! We compare ourselves to our friends, our parents, and even our leaders. We have settled. We have created a spiritual hierarchy in which we hope to someday ascend to the top. What is the problem with this? We are not supposed to be striving to be like our friends, our parents, our pastors, Billy Graham, etc....they are not the mark! Jesus is the mark! A Christlike life is our aim.
If we would truly take this call to be Christlike it would mess up everything! We would find the platforms empty and the ladder torn down. Why? Because the greatest would be in the dirt, they would be dirty, they would be with those who do not even claim Jesus as Lord. We would not settle! And we would serve.
The other day I was talking to someone about this Christian hierarchy. Here is what they had to say (paraphrased)
"You know something that really bothers me? What really bothers me is when pastors, after a service, beg for people to help 'we need people to help this coming workday...please stay after and help us tear down...etc.' and then after the service they leave! As if noone else there has anything to do!"
Christian Hierarchy. What ever happened to the greatest will be the servant? What ever happened to approachable pastors? What ever happened to the body of believers that realized that each member had something different to contribute to the body for its benefit? What ever happened to people having freedom to be themselves? What happened to joy? What happened to forgiveness? What happened to holiness? What ever happened to 'go into all the world'? Whatever happened to people who didn't care what anyone else thought, all they wanted was Jesus? Where have all the spiritual Mothers and fathers gone? And in the words of the Blackeyed Peas..."Where is the love?"
I started off todays post by stating that every time I feel like I have arrived it is as if I am climbing a high dive and will soon be plunging into an empty pool. I feel that statement defines most people's arrival. At first we recognize the sin in our lives, the things that make us stumble (i.e. music, movies, goals), and we get them out of our lives. But then we arrive! We feel as if we have come to the point that those things no longer bother or affect us and so we start to once again consume them. Let me make this statement-
Christian maturity does not mean that you can "handle" things! Christian maturity is shown when you realize that you cannot handle things and will never be able to, because it is sin. You then keep it removed from your life. It is not an issue of arriving! Spiritual maturity is seeing Jesus and seeing yourself in light of Him!
Paul "the master thealogian"-formerly known as Saul -sees things a little different than we do. Paul did not see himself as this man who was ascending the platforms to holiness, in fact that more and more he saw Jesus the less and less and he became in his own eyes.
Paul starts out by addressing himself as "The least of the Apostles"
In a later letter he refers to himself as "the least of the saints"
and in an even later letter he refers to himself as "the chief of sinners"!
Where have we gone wrong that we desire to be seen as holy in the eyes of men and are thus deceiving ourselves as to how we appear in the eyes of God. We are truly becoming an old church not a mature one. For an old church will soon die but a mature church brings forth life! Perhaps that is why it is estimated that the Western church is losing 7,000 people a day while the African church is gaining over 20,0000.
Old vs. Mature
This was a compilation of many different thoughts and truths I have been thinking about. Hey! scrammbled eggs are good for you too!
1 comment:
You know what's really sad? Is when our brothers or sisters in Christ decide to consecrate themselves to the Lord, let's say God has laid on their hearts not to listen to certain kinds of music. Instead of encouraging them we say stupid stuff like " Aren't you being a little legalistic?" You're being too radical etc. etc. or we ourselves make excuses of why God would never expect us to do whatever. Any way to this blog I say. AMEN!! Preach it baby!
Post a Comment