Ability Vs. Choice

I've been thinking all day long about the difference between ability and choice. This started yesterday when I was talking to one of my youth guys about the movie the Hangover, and in the middle of talking to him about it he stopped and said, "Oh, you probably can't see that movie can you?" I found this question very interesting, and thought provoking because of the implications that it unknowingly carried.
The assumptions that this guy was voicing was that because I am a pastor, and more importantly a Christian, there are some things that I am incapable of taking part in; but is this assumption correct? What many don't realize is that just because a person becomes a Christian, their ability to take part in non Christian activities, such as movies that promote sin for all to see is in no way hampered. We could still take part, but as a Christian, why would I want to? The focus of Christianity should be to become more Christlike in all that we do, and so why would I then want to take part in something that will inevitably drive me further from my ultimate goal?
When all is said and done, it isn't about one's ability to do this or that, it comes down to the motives behind why we do what we do. I heard a story recently about this guy who was leaving early for a work trip and so his twelve year old daughter got up before him, and made him his coffee; why? She made him his coffee, not out of some unspoken obligation, not out of guilt, not out of a desire to be a better daughter, but simply out of love for her dad. Galatians 5:13 says "You my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." So again, it isn't about ability; we are free to live our lives. It's about motivation, it's about love, it's about choice.

A Willing Heart

This past Sunday we wrapped up a four week long discussion on how to unlock your God given potential, and through it all the main theme has been commitment; how committed are you to seeing God work through your life. I've had a lot of people come up to me these past four weeks expressing concerns that they don't feel like they are doing enough for God. Or people are wondering how they can hear God more clearly because maybe there's more that he is wanting them to do. If we aren't careful, when we begin to focus on questions such as these our Christianity can very quickly turn into a question of "how good am I?" Or "How much can I do?"

I shared last Wednesday about how in 2Chronicles 30, under King Hezekiah the people were taking part in the passover for the first time in a long time. It was basically a revival where people were earnestly seeking God, and yet the problem was that there were a lot of people who, when the time came to eat the passover they were, according to the law, unclean. Then in 2Chronicles 30:18-20, Hezekiah asks God to pardon the ones who had their hearts set on seeking God, and yet were unclean according to the rules of the sanctuary. It then says that "the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people." So what was the most important thing? Being clean according to the rules, or having a heart set on seeking God?

Now don't get me wrong, the law was very important but it was a means of drawing the people to God. God's focus and his desire was for a relationship with his creation, not that they were perfect! Even today we get so hung up on, and worried about how well we can perform as Christians, and how often we have our quiet times, and how much we put in the plate, and how many Sunday school classes we teach, and how we don't drink, or smoke, or cuss, and how clean we can look on the outside that ultimately we miss the fact that Christianity is all about having a heart set on seeking God! Again, Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; there were a lot of other commandments but this was the most important one!

And so as we strive to be disciples of Christ, and as we work to be holy as God is holy, we must remember that above everything else we must ask ourselves the question: "Is my heart set on seeking God?"

Engaged Christianity

So, two weeks ago we went down to Sea crest Beach, Florida right outside of Panama City Beach for a week long vacation, and for the most part it was good. The weather wasn't all that cooperative but we made the best of it, and the beaches were absolutely beautiful. I would say that the only part of the trip that was frustrating and disappointing was my dad. Here we are in beautiful Florida, staying in an amazing house and pretty much all he wanted to do was lay on the couch, talk on his cell phone, and watch the hunting channel, which I don't even know why that is a channel by the way. It was frustrating because; first of all he doesn't get to spend a whole lot of time with my kids in the first place and so I assumed he would want as much face time with them as possible; and second I haven't hung out with him in forever and I assumed he would want to do a little catch up. But sadly neither seemed to be true for dear old dad. Now admittedly I am being hard on him, but aren't you aloud to do that with family? I mean isn't your family supposed to want to be in deep relationship with you? Aren't they supposed to want to engage you and share their lives with you? It seams as though some family members are just OK with being family in name, and not in any relational sense of the word and as I began to think of this more over the past few weeks God began to reveal something about this to me.

He began to reveal to me how many times in my own life I have done this very thing to Him. Like my dad, I have settled so often for a relationship with God in name only. I have assumed that adopting the title of Christian means that I am one, and instead God wants so much more. Again, like me with my dad, God desires a deep, involved relationship where we aren't just satisfied with him being around somewhere in the background. This is easy to fall into though isn't it? With family it is easy to simply take them for granted and just simply be there, but not really be engaged but in reality this just doesn't work. Again, like with my dad, my kids aren't really going to have any memories of him from this trip because he wasn't really there. Jesus tells us that in the end when we stand before God, he will either say yes I know you, or no I don't, and many people will be surprised at what they hear. Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

The question is, do you have a relationship with Christ or not, not how much have you done, or how many Sunday school classes have you taught, but do you know Him?