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Jesus Didn’t Promise Us Disneyland
It has hit me with increasing clarity lately how spoilt we are in New Zealand. Not only do we have the luxury of good clothes, nice houses and too much cash, but we also experience the luxury of actually being able to choose what we do with our lives.
Most people in the world don’t have that luxury; they are more caught up in the fight for survival. Not us, we have many choices about our future. In many ways we are spoilt for choice about how we spend our life—yet another reason why we need to be obedient and follow the call of Christ.
It is clear from scripture that God powerfully uses obedient people. Hear me loud and clear, I am not saying that God loves you more if you make the hard calls for Him. But, let’s get rid of this silly idea that some people have “anointing” and God uses them more. God wants to use all of us.
The strange reality for followers of Jesus is that we believe that life is not found by striving and clutching to grab it. We don’t find life on some OE, or in any amount of money or power. We find true life by giving it away; we choose to die so that we can truly live. Jesus didn’t promise us Disneyland, but He did promise us a life to its fullness if we would die to ourselves, and live for Him.
I want to be a person who risks everything on Jesus. A person who doesn’t just talk about being radical and following Jesus, but who makes decisions that would indicate that I am a radical following Jesus. I want to be a person who lives completely for others, disregards expectations and remains obedient to that rumbling deep in my spirit. I want to make calls with my life where if Jesus doesn’t come through I’m screwed.
God does want to use you. I know you probably hear it a lot. I wish I could sit down with you and convince you that God really does desire to make a difference through you.
You are called to fight against principalities and powers in this world. You are called to fight against injustice, poverty, and oppression. You are called to be a voice to the voiceless, to love those who are despised, and to follow Jesus recklessly. You are called to love radically and live counter culturally.
You are called to be the type of person who at the end of your life can look back, and even though you may not have had a lot of “stuff” or money in the bank, you can honestly declare “what a ride!” Your life was full of experiences and incredible relationships and you have story after story of God coming through in all sorts of crazy and not so crazy situations. You are called to leave the world better off because you poured out your life for the glory of Jesus.
So consider the life choices that you are making (especially as you think about 2007). Do they indicate a life dedicated to serving others, or are they focused on yourself? Are you going to “be the change you want to see in the world” or just another spectator, another consumer?
Go on, risk on God. Go for it. I dare you to jump off that particular cliff, step out of that boat, and throw yourself completely and radically into following Jesus with your entire future.
Let’s continue the revolution.
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