Smeagol is Free!
A hermitudinal view of...stuff...


8.15.2007  

Pondering Possibilities

When Jesus spoke of taking up our crosses and following Him, He spoke of dying to the World, of severing our reliance upon and loves for things other than Him. This is, to be honest, difficult. I rely far too much upon myself, and I love the things of this world with a passion that easily cools the fervor I feel for my Lord.

Tonight, as I pondered what Paul lays out for those who desire to be elders, I felt with an even keener sense of intensity the difficulty of attaining that standard. In fact, in just thinking of what it is to be a man of God, I felt overwhelmed. How can I be that man? God's call upon me feels so far from reality!

'Drew and I used to talk about living our lives for just one thing, just one passion, one desire. The more and more I live, the more and more I feel the weight of life lived in this world: my sin, the responsibility and freedom to love, the severity and gravity of each moment; all beckon, all weigh on my mind. Thus, it is all the more shocking that Jesus, the same Jesus that would command us to love our fellow man as no other Man ever had commanded before, would call us to forsake all others to follow Him.

Why?

In looking at the call of Jesus upon the believer's life, I'm struck by two things: the impossibly high standard, and the infinitely precious cost. Often times, I confuse the two. You see, the standard for the Christian is high, extremely high. Yet, the standard by which I must live is not the cost of gaining Christ's love. Why? The cost of His love for me was the cost He paid when He was forsaken by the Father at the cross. The standard, therefore, is not the means by which I gain His love, but rather, it is the means by which I can and do live because of His love.

What?

Allow me to put it this way: when Jesus tells me to take up my cross and follow Him, He's commanding me to live in such a way as to reflect the fact that I am His, that He has indeed graciously made me into a new creature that now loves that which is most lovely, namely, Him, and is no longer satisfied by earthly things. Does this mean that I do not enjoy life here on earth? Hardly! Rather, life is enjoyed with a much grander view in mind, and with a much deeper appreciation than ever before. Sin becomes more and more distasteful and heinous, and goodness becomes ever more and more savory to the soul. Is this difficult? Yes. Is it impossible? No! In fact, the life that is so effected is the life that God calls us to, and, difficult though it may seem, is indeed possible.

posted by Bolo | 11:46 PM
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