To be a Christian is to be like Christ. It’s a losing of your life, in order to somehow find it. A denying of who you are…a taking up of something else (your cross)…in order to be molded into the image of Christ. I mean Jesus said it himself, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” So to be a follower of Christ there first comes a giving up…followed by a taking up.
The giving up is simple. Not the act itself, but the understanding of what Jesus is demanding. He is demanding my life. The giving up is a forfeiting of my selfishness, my desires, my purposes, my dreams, my own way. It’s that moment (or moments) when I come to Jesus and set my life at His feet and say “Its yours, do with me as you wish. For your Name not mine” The losing of myself…in order to find the new me.
The taking up of my cross, the new me, is where it gets complicated. What is my cross? What is your cross? Whatever it is we have to be sold out to it. Jesus was. And if we refuse to sell out, to give up everything, then we have turned our back on Jesus, and walked away from our CROSS. The rich young ruler is a perfect example…Jesus told him that the only thing he lacked to be His disciple was to sell all his possession (EVERY THING HE HAD) and give it to the poor. The man refused and walked away from his CROSS.
Are all CROSSES this radical?
Remember the story of Zacchaeus? He was rich, filthy rich, and when Jesus came to have dinner at his house Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor…” HALF? Doesn’t he know that Jesus wants it all? And yet Jesus turns to Zacchaeus and says, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Zacchaeus’s response to Jesus is good enough to inherit the kingdom of God. Yet he didn’t give it all. John the Baptist’s response to the crowds who asked him what they should do to inherit the kingdom of God is the same; “If you have two coats, give one to the poor.” Not both? And this doesn’t only occur with possessions…
The twelve disciples of Jesus left everything they knew to follow Jesus. Their jobs, their families, their friends, everything. Yet we have the story in Mark 5 where Jesus frees a man who had been possessed by a legion of demons. After setting the man free Jesus gets in a boat to leave and the man who had been cured BEGS Jesus to go with Him. But Jesus refuses to let him go. This man was willing and ready to forsake all to follow the one who healed him. To GIVE UP EVERYTHING, yet he is turned away…And told to “go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
This leads me to my question…
Maybe we have been missing the point? Maybe the point of following Jesus is not about how much we are willing to give up for Him, but maybe it is about listening to what He is asking us to give up. Maybe there are different degrees of discipleship? What if some of us have sold everything we owned and traveled to the furthest village in Africa to teach others about Christ, but Christ was asking us to “return home and tell how much God has done for you.” Is it possible to be out of God’s will while serving Him? Could we go when He says stay? Is there just one plan that God has for each of us or are there options? Am I missing the whole point of following Jesus?
Answer any one of those that you want…because I am dying to know what you guys think!
I wrestle… and the timing of your post is exquisite; a chance to “discuss” when this is on my mind so prominently… my question is becoming… is it also possible to get caught up and even blinded by trying so hard to live a radical life for Jesus? That maybe the enemy has used this huge passion of our generation to want to be radical and turned it against us. I think your example of moving to Africa when maybe all along you were being asked to “return home” is great…
ReplyDeleteMaybe we really need to wrestle and look at the word “radical”… I have been reading several books lately in regards to this radical movement and the concept of living life in a radical way. I admit, it gets me pumped up and truly makes me want to sell everything and go; to live a life that is “different”, “radical”… but where is “go” and what if its “stay” what if what we think should be easiest is most “radical”… what if something radical for you is not radical for me, but the overall concept of being radical looks me in the eye and tells me I have not lived radically even though I’m living in a village in Africa. I decided to look up the word radical in a few different contexts; it was interesting what I found...
Radical:
Adjective: forming a basis or foundation; existing inherently in a thing or person; of or going to the root or origin.
Noun: a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist; a person who advocates fundamental political, economic and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < LL rādīcālis having roots, equiv. to L rādīc- (s. of rādīx ) root1 + -ālis -al1
Some of these definitions were exactly what I expected; “extremist, advocate, social reformer…” However, I was not expecting to see the definition that the adjective states, having root. The origin of this word even sums it all up to say that being radical or living radically is “having roots.”
Honestly today my wrestling may have changed. Are my ventures to live a radical life based on the “American Christian concept of living radically,” Or is it merely having root in my Jesus, His commands, His law, His love… in an unwavering, steadfast way.
And… to answer your question, “Is it possible to be out of God’s will while serving Him? I don’t think that it is possible to be out of God’s will while serving Him… but then that leads to another question… “ would God tell you not to take an opportunity to work in a ministry position???
Misty- :) the truth is, and I know you know this, that God calls us to ministry in every position...and usually not ministry positions technically. He has already given a general calling to everyone that follows Him to go and tell, to give when someone needs something, to follow Him wherever He leads you. So maybe the position is a no, but if you feel like there is no one you are investing in and ministering to where you are now---like no one you are called to stick around for in your present position--and God opens the dorr, then go. God speaks to us and I think that trying to disect His call too much will make us so skeptical of the simple things or difficult things He tells us to do that we will wait too long to say yes, and He'll pass the call to someone else. Like we're looking so closely at ourselves and the possible mistakes we could be making that we're not focussing on Him and seeing with His perspective and following where He leads...like Peter walking on the water, we get nervous and overthink. But idk if I completely see where you're coming from, so disregard this if I'm ignorant :)
ReplyDeleteIn response to the blog--I think its true, we can get too preoccupied with sacrifice.
"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." -Hosea 6:6
I think we can look at this in the context we're in now...which is sin, I guess, if we're doing things out of our own will and not God's. I think Jesus told the rich young ruler to give up everything because he knew that all that man's possessions were his life---and the man thought he could be a part of the Kingdom of God easily maybe...Jesus makes sure we know it is a challenging life to follow Him. Maybe he didn't mind Zachius (I spell in my own way :)) only giving half because Zachius did it willingly. Jesus saw his heart. And I think with John the Baptist he's declaring that in following Jesus, we should never have more than we need when there are others who need what we have...and always see possessions as impermenant things that have no real value. Basic morals of a Christ follower. Its all about our hearts loving Jesus more than life and all thats in it, so nothing else matters.
In any case, the truth is that our God is a personal God who has given us examples of things He calls us to do. There are commandments that call all of us to do certain things, like minister, give to those in need, give to the church, etc--but He decides where we go individually, what happens with the money we gave, and how much and what to give to other people and when. I say give and give until God tells you to stop for some reason...you can never go wrong in "count[ing] others more significant than yourselves." And "not lay[ing] up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal..."
Like you said, Sheldon, it all comes down to prayer and taking the steps you think God is calling you to take. If He's not saying what you think, He will tell you if you are seeking Him. Its about where your heart is--if its in love with God...the rest is just the effects of the loving relationship you have with Him. Just like in Jeremiah 29, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart. When you go looking for things, you go to the wrong spots at first, but God teaches us how to find the right places we are to be by giving us passions and vision. Follow what comes from God :) and don't be afraid. You're in His hand.
Sorry for not asking more questions...I'm not really that much of a thinker sometimes :) And sorry if me trying to offer some answers is annoying or something...
Hey Ragged this is Josh :D Your good friend (Dallas) and i were just talking about this yesterday at lunch and I had some thoughts about the people you mentioned from the Gospels. The rich man was told to give up his possessions, Zaccheus had to give back what he stole, and the demon possessed man was asked to go back home. In each of these situations these guys were asked to give up the thing that caused them to be far from God. For the rich man, his wealth was that thing. For Zaccheus it was his cheating heart, and for the demon possessed man, it was a call to go back to the people who exiled him to the caves;he was called back to people who hated him. For all of us, God is calling us to surrender to him, to do whatever he asks US to do. Not anyone else. Radical living is one that says Yes to God no matter what the call is.
ReplyDeleteAs to your question about being out of God's will while serving Him....I think the answer is yes. Look at pastors who fall into lust, or you or I who work in some ministry and still struggle. Being in God's will is being in relationship with him and our sinfulness can keep us out of that relationship even while "serving him." Thanks for writing man. I look forward to more.