What is Christianity anyway? Is it a way to live? The Christian life comes in many guises. Is it about health and prosperity? Is it about the simple life? Is it a political thing - trying to convince everyone to agree with your theology? Is it about reversing climate change and taking care of the earth? Is it about how to be the best you you can be? Is it bringing heaven to earth? Is it a code of ethics? Is it a set of doctrines? Is it about strategies? Is it about saving the world? ...Or could it be to do with your private life with your Lover?
-It's a person!
What is revival? It's a person - showing up - the reviver. What are the keys to revival? How do we 'save the world', feed the starving masses, end wars, bring world peace? Answer: no idea! Nobody knows! We're all just people! God's the one in control! Just show up!
The outworkings of our faith are neither here nor there in a sense - Christianity can be lived-out in countless legitimate ways and otherwise, but loving God isn't so much about our public lives as it is about our private lives, and it's about being in love rather doing things to try and get closer to Him. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Seeking Him with all your heart isn't easy - love isn't always easy - but it's possible and it's worth it. Alternatively, you too can just sit there (and not find Him)! John 3:30 "He must increase but I must decrease". Matthew 22:37 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind".
Do we really have free will or control over what happens in the world anyway? Did you choose to be British? Did you choose to be male or female? Did you choose what family to be born into, what background you'd have, what colour your hair would be? God's in control, not us! "Oh but we need to pray. Maybe we're not praying *hard* enough. ...We need to learn *how* to pray. We need strategies. We need training in mission. We need professional missionaries!"... What is prayer? It's a person. Do we pray to change God's mind? To convince him of something? To remind him about something? He does what he likes - we pray because we love the person we're praying to.
Is Christianity all about strategies and hard slog and doing and trying and suffering and being somber all the time? Was Jesus always like that? What have we got to be joyful about anyway? Maybe eternal life? That we have nothing to worry about? Forgiveness of all our sins? That we have the perfect Lover? Direct access to the creator of the universe? ...You know the reason most people don't go to church? Coz they've been in one once ;) It used to be a requirement that we feast and be merry and party, now it's optional so...
We need to stop taking ourselves so seriously! Nehemiah 8:10 "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Alternatively, you too can be miserable! ;) We can have suffering contests til the cows come home but if we want strength we need joy and to get joy we need to be seeking his presence.
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