Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Independence Day?

In America we are truly blessed by God to have the freedoms we have. We are not necessarily blessed by having so much stuff.

Isn't it just the American way to think that we are independent? Not just that we are independent of England, or that we are independent of needing help from other nations, but most Americans probably think that they are truly independent of everything, including and especially God.

This kind of thinking will come to an end sooner or later. Sooner would be when God takes control of the heart and causes the spiritual blinders to come off. Later will be when He has allowed a life of self serving, hedonism, but then calls the account to be paid.

I can now say that the first option is not only much better from an eternal perspective, but it is much better from an earthly perspective as well. When we understand our true dependence on Christ minute by minute each day, there is so much more joy here on earth than there ia following after earthly dreams. When Christ, and His purpose, is our aim everything else seems so small.

Is making money, having a position, wife kids, stuff your goal in life? There is so much more life in Christ than the pursuit of those things; so much more joy in following and gaining Christ than in filling up barns. Oh that we would delight in our utter dependence on Christ. Oh to seek serving Christ over all other positions. How much better to be a servant to the King of Kings than to be in charge of some little tiny earthly domain! Lord give me the proper perspective and aim that I would delight in all that You are. Let me love my dependence on You.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

My husband I were just talking about this. His father just celebrated his 65th birthday. This man has it all, family, friends, reputation, wealth, comfort, a beautiful wife....yet he does not know the Lord. I was telling my husband, it almost seemed like a curse having those things. Because when you have so much, that "independence" gives you no reason to cry out. It makes me thankful for the suffering God has allowed in my life. It took that for me to cry out to Him.

Chuck Weinberg said...

I have a friend who is very wealthy, not "Bill Gates" wealthy, but he never lacks anything he wants. It makes my heart ache because he "has so much" yet in reality he doesn't have anything.
Camel and eye of a needle come to mind and it is so true; in his mind he doesn't need anything or anyone, not even God.
We talked about eternity the other day and he says he believes, but he only says that because he knows I am a believer.
Grace has been lavished on us in not receiving everything our hearts have desired over the years. For sure we would think that it was not a blessing, but often I have found that God's blessing are disguised.
If He never gives one more blessing we are most blessed because we know Him and He has captured our hearts.