It's amazing how often the Bible shows and says that "the good life" is the hard life.
Over the weekend, I listened to our retreat speaker talk about how her life hasn't been perfect, but how it's been for God's glory because now she can encourage others. Then she pointed out that Joseph's dysfunctional family life hurt him even before he was sold into slavery, and how he had 12+ years of dropping to the bottom, being raised up to privilege, then being cast down to the bottom to start over and over and over again. Yet Joseph said "what you meant for harm, God meant for good."
As I drove home, I reviewed my verses in Philippians, and suddenly Paul's words popped out at me, written from prison, after multiple imprisonments and stonings and attack through his life: "But I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so it has become apparent to the entire palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ, and many of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident because of my imprisonment, are now bold to preach the Word without fear."
Then, this morning, as I helped in the 1st&2nd grade Sunday school class, the teacher taught about how young David was annointed king of Israel long before he was given the position, and I remembered the long years of service, lost friendship, battle, fear, and hiding that were part of his lot as chosen of God.
The theme continued through Sunday school. We're looking at Luke chapter nine, where Jesus asks the disciples who they think He is and they finally catch up with what the demons already knew and say, "You're the Messiah of God." And does Jesus tell them, "Great let's all have happy lives!" NO! He informs them that he's planning to die. Then he says, "If you want to be my disciples, you're going to have to deny yourselves and take up your cross to follow me."
None of God's chosen have had easy lives. (Well, none I can think of anyway, feel free to correct me.) Yet somehow we are rewarded beyond the cost of any sacrifice to God's glory. Do we, perhaps, misrepresent what it means to "become saved" or "let Jesus in your heart"? Are we cupboard Christians, only there for the blessing and not for the self-denial and service?
This will take more thought on my part. Do you have anything to add? More examples? A contradiction?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
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3 comments:
I think a lot of the American Church has fallen into the "cupboard Christian" category(I love that term, did you coin it?) The prosperity message has been taken all out of context and blown out of proportion until many Christians truly believe that the aim of Christianity is to bless them materially. It is very sad. I've been reading some very challenging things about Christianity. I recently read this post-(sorry I don't know how to do links in comments) http://blog.streamsministries.com/2008/01/05/the-anointing-and-the-trash/ --by John Paul Jackson and was extremely challenged. His whole blog is challenging. But that's what I need. I want there to be oil in my lamp when the bridegroom comes.
The deeper I go and the closer I get, the more "interesting" my earthly life gets. But I have begun to care less and less for the pleasures of this life when I can have the pleasures of knowing Him.
I don't know if that makes sense, but I think you know what I mean.
I'm pretty sure I've heard the term elsewhere. I certainly can't believe no one else has used it.
And yes, I do know what you mean. Once you have living water, the ordinary stuff just doesn't quench thirst any more.
There is a story I heard as a catechumen about a monk of the desert who prayed to God every day that the cross God had given him was too heavy to bear. So, one night, his guardian angel appeared to him and told him to follow. The angel led him into huge, vast storehouse, and on every wall a cross was hanging, standing crosses were piled all in the room, and there was barely any room to walk. The crosses were all made of various materials, and of varying sizes. So when he entered the room, the angel said to the monk, "God has heard your prayer, and will allow you to choose any cross you wish to be yours." So the monk went through every single cross in the room, and finally found the smallest, tiniest cross, made from what appeared to be feathers banded together with twine. He presented it to his angel and said "This is the one that I will carry." The angel smiled at him and said "Strange, that you should pick your old cross up again, after so much prayer about getting rid of it."
I love that story.
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