Luke 17:33 (The Message)
”If you grasp and cling to life on your own terms, you’ll lose it, but if you let that life go, you’ll get life on God’s terms.”
Haven’t you noticed in your own life that when you are really anxious (worried) about something happening that you don’t want to happen, it does; or vice versa, you worry over something that you dearly want to happen and it doesn’t. You wanted a child to excel in something and he or she did not. You really wanted that promotion or new job and you didn’t get it. You fear getting to a certain age or seeing a loved one move away, but these happen anyway. There is some principle that is true most of the time (although thankfully not all the time as some dreams do come true) that whatever you wish for the most you don’t get; and whatever you hope does not happen, often it does.
Jesus is alluding to this principle in this passage. He’s revealing a truth that when you desperately try to live your live your own way and achieve great things on your own and be as blessed as you could possibly be on your own terms, either these don’t happen or, even if they do, the satisfaction derived from self-effort won’t last. But if you simply stop striving, stop worrying, stop trying to do everything with your own strength and abilities, apart from God, when you finally admit that you have to stop all this and yield to God, you become free, you have peace, you experience contentment and you are in line with the will of God.
I believe that most, if not all, pastors, missionaries, and other dedicated full time Christian servants have been influenced and have followed this verse. Jesus is contrasting the world’s value system against God’s value system. I have the following list in my files for what defines God’s (or Christian) Value System although I cannot provide where I found this:
People above possessions
Others above self
Eternity above present
Righteousness above temporary pleasures
Truth above falsehood
Fact above feelings
His will above my will
Forgiveness above revenge
Giving above receiving
Family above career
Character above credentials
Commitment above comfort
Christ above culture
Most full time Christian workers likely could be making a lot more money and have much nicer things in life if they were working in the secular world. However, they know the true values of life. We must continue to pray for them that they do not allow Satan to discourage them and they lose this correct grasp of what is truly God’s purpose for them.
Unfortunately, too many people who claim to be Christians do not follow God’s Value System. The church as a whole suffers because the un-churched people do not see Christians acting any different than worldly people act. You too must evaluate what kind of value system you are leading and what you are clinging to. As the old saying goes, “let go and let God”. What can you let go and what can you let God do more of in your life? What would others say about you using the above list as criteria?
No comments:
Post a Comment