| Living
Sold Out
Hokay, this follows on directly from last week's
thort which was about Christianity not necessarily being comfortable
or easy (which may be hard for most of us Western Christianers
to grasp, but place yourself in the shoes of a Christian living
in a predominantly muslim country or other place where being a
Christian can be punishable by death or lead to hectic persecution
or torture, and it may make more sense.) I was walking down the
road this evening at the Sun City resort where I've been doing
some TheatreSports (improv comedy - see www.theatresports.co.za)
this week, and thinking about how I would use my money if I wanted
to be using it in a sold out way for God. Then the whole jargonised
theme of 'stewardship' came into my mind and I had the idea for
this week's thort and so here it is.
I really think it will help you to take some time and actually
do the exercise I am going to suggest here, because just reading
this and thinking about it may not help enough. But doing something
about it and at least getting it on paper and spending some time
on it, may even revolutionise the rest of your life.
So grab a piece of paper and on it write down the answers to the
following questions. I suggest you really spend some time in prayer
before you do it and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His wisdom
in answering, so that this can be truly beneficial for you. I also
encourage you to write (or think) about each question with absolute
honesty, rather than coming up with excuses or rationalising or
whatever. Answer the questions with absolute honesty and then what
you do with the answers is between you and God.
Let me just clarify that when I use the phrase 'sold out for God'
what I am meaning is to be passionately going for it and giving
your all in terms of serving God.
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QUESTION ONE:
What would my life look like if I used my money in an absolutely
sold out way for God?
QUESTION TWO:
What would my life look like if I handled my relationships with
my best/close friends in an absolutely sold out way for God?
QUESTION THREE:
What would my life look like if I handled my relationship with
my husband/wife or girlfriend/boyfriend or the person I am hoping
will be my girlfriend/boyfriend in an absolutely sold out way for
God? [this question may not apply to some people, but it's for
those who it does]
QUESTION FOUR:
What would my life look like if I handled my relationships with
other people in my life - friends/family/acquaintances/work colleagues/sports
team people - in an absolutely sold out way for God?
QUESTION FIVE:
What would my life look like if I handled my relationship with
my stuff/possessions/things in an absolutely sold out way for God
(place where I stay/transport/things I own or that maybe own me)?
QUESTION SIX:
What would my life look like if I handled my time in an absolutely
sold out way for God?
QUESTION 7:
What would my life look like if I handled my tongue (what I say/how
I say it/who I say it to) in an absolutely sold out way for God?
QUESTION 8:
What would my life look like if I handled my image/what people
think of me in an absolutely sold out way for God?
QUESTION 9:
What would my life look like if I handled my relationship with
God in an absolutely sold out way for God?
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Someone emailed me last week and said
she just could not live a life that is "...do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your interests, but also to
the interests of others." from last week's thort... and I
would imagine the same would apply to this week's thort and I think
that's a valid point.
In and of ourselves WE CAN NOT do this stuff - it is unnatural
and goes against everything we have learnt and been bombarded with
since birth (in terms of the message the world constantly throws
at us about focusing and worrying about ourselves above everything
else) and it is only through the Holy Spirit of God living in us,
that this stuff is possible.
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that 'God did
not give us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of Love and of
Power and of Self-Discipline.' That is the Spirit that lives
in each one of us when we decide to follow Jesus and is the One
who also enables us to be able to do 'all things through Christ
who strengthens us." [Philippians
4:13]
As you submit to God and allow Him more access in your life and
start focusing on His plans and His agenda for you, so the stuff
does become possible. But there is that step of denying yourself
and becoming humble and admitting that you can not do it by yourself.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I am hoping
that by sitting down and really honestly looking at the answers
to these questions, we might notice some disparity/difference between
how we are currently living and how we can/should be living if
we are indeed sold out for Him.
I challenge and encourage you to really put aside some time for
this exercise and I would love to hear what comes of it... |
