Busy but not effective, tidy but not used

I was challenged today with this idea. I think so often I have been guilty of creating a busy & comfortable lifestyle that has the right stuff and looks good, but isn’t actually effective toward the Kingdom of God big picture vision. To quote Phil Callaway…“Jesus came to comfort us, not to make us comfortable. I guess I've been comforted enough; it's time to offer some to others. That you would live life on purpose. That my children will hear God's voice despite a noisy culture, and that they will obey.”

Really what I have been challenged with is a departure from selfish living. In looking out for myself & how things are for me, making sure I am happy & safe & have good memories (& a hot shower!) My priorities & what i focus on in life in this last year have been forced to be reviewed. Phil also goes onto say... “But is safety what we're here for? Isn't Complacency the most dangerous place on earth? Isn't Suburbia sucking the life out of our teenagers more than any foreign country ever could?”

I don’t think I can stress how much of an eye-opener & life-changing experience it is for people to get out of their comfort zones & explore other cultures & the world. In NZ we are so isolated, that it requires more effort, but it is certainly worth it.

I am reminded of the Proverb about the well being clean where there are no oxen, but with the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. We can choose comfortable, clean & tidy lives over messy, unpredictable selfless living, but we do so in exchange for fruit & harvest – the only things in life that really matter. I know what I want to choose, & I pray that others will keep me accountable to this!

"Catching the fire"

I read this really thought-provoking small book the other day. It was “Catching the Fire” by Don Fleming. I happened to pick it up, and it really grabbed my interest because everything he said rang true in my heart with my thoughts, frustrations & questions about church that I have had in the past decade.

The proportion of the book discussed the blockages the western church has in regards to authentic Christianity. These include, convenience, fervent prayer, our view of the world, expectation of a pain-free life, walking by faith, mistaking sophistication for maturity, giving, hospitality, personal ambition, how we view our time, and the Word of God.

As I read each of these I agreed and things suddenly started to come clear. It wasn’t the particular church we were attending in NZ that had it ‘wrong’, it was that the whole system of church & Christianity in the west that has become a lukewarm sickness. The refreshing I have felt in the ‘developing world’ has been the fire & authenticity of a hot relationship with God. I really have no desire whatsoever to go back to the ‘western’ church setting. I feel that if we were to sink back into that mould, we would not grow to our full potential. Although there are lots of things to be thankful within the western church setting, I believe that the food we need at this time is fresh green natural vegetables & water from a simple ‘non-western’ lifestyle. Anymore rich meats & other goodies would continue the sickness that I have been ill with for awhile. I am so glad I have been made aware of what has been wrong with me, and now have a new prescription for spiritual life.