It Must be Real Exhausting…to be a very good Christian…
About a month ago, I was out to dinner with some friends and to my surprise this is what one of my friends said in the middle of the restaurant.
I was more surprised at how loud she said it, than what she said. It not only started good discussion that evening between us as friends, it has made for good discussions with others. But the biggest discussion place for this comment was in my head. As a follower of Jesus Christ I have thought about what she said over and over and over again.
Is “it real exhausting, to be a very good Christian…”?
Do we as followers of Jesus Christ make others think that to be a Christian is exhausting?
Did Jesus make Christianity out to be an exhausting job to follow Him?
Are we, as Christians, exhausted from following Jesus?
Have we, as Christians, gotten the message of Jesus Christ so mixed up that we are exhausted?
I don’t think there is a yes or no answer to any of these questions.
But there is a lot of discussion…not only among our friends…but also in our own heads and what we expect.
As I have pondered this thought over and over the last month or so, I have had many key Bible stories pop into my head.
Like when Jesus told the paralytic man, whose friends lowered him through the roof, get up and walk.
Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”…He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
Mark 2:3-5, 10-11 (NIV)
Jesus told the paralytic, that his sins were forgiven and he could take his mat and get out of there.
Jesus didn’t tell him, “first, you have to read the Torah everyday and pray four times a day to follow me.”
No…
He just said, “get up and walk and that his sins were forgiven because of his friends’ faith in Jesus.”
Many of Jesus’ miracles, He just told the person to get up and be healed…
He didn’t say, “you have to study my Father’s teachings, or pray, or fast…”
He just said, “you are healed and your sins are forgiven…”
But there are also instances where Jesus says, “you have to give up everything to follow me.”
He told Andrew, Simon, and the Sons of Zebedee to leave their living as fishermen and follow him and become fishers of men.
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “ Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
Matthew 4:18-22 (NIV)
He told them to leave their livelihood…
Jesus told guys who were not scholars…
to follow Him.
Jesus, told them, “you will not need your nets…
your boat…
or your family…”
He said, “Come, follow me…”
“Leave everything you know and have been taught to do…”
“And, I will make you Fishers of Men.”
“Give it all up, for me,” is what He was saying.
Or when the young rich man said to Jesus, “What do I need to do to be your follower and get eternal life?”
A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered.
“No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Luke 18:18-25 (NIV)
Jesus responded, “You need to get rid of all your earthly possessions to inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
Now if there is anything that makes life exhausting, it’s living outside of your comfort zone…
How many of us struggle with that?
Could we live without our house…
Our car…
Our cell phone…
Jesus couldn’t possible ask me to give up everything…
That is more rules than we can handle…
This brings me to the pharisees and their teaching of the day.
When they were strict followers of the law and every rule known to man,
Jesus told them he did not come to abolish the law…but to fulfill the law
Matthew 5:17 (NIV)
and they just laughed at him.
Jesus flat out told everyone, “I am here to bring relief to ‘The Way’ of living.”
His two commandments of…
Love the Lord your God with all your heart…
soul…
mind…
and strength…
and love your neighbor as yourself, can be tough…
but are not over the top tough.
How each person gets to loving God is between them and God…
Are reading your Bible,
praying everyday,
and fasting important things to do?
Yes, they are because they help you grow into a deeper love for God.
But that is not what brings us in communion with Him.
It’s God grace sent to us as a perfect gift…
who walked this earth…
was wrongfully accused…
died on a cross…
for our sins…
descended to hell…
to overcome death…
and rose from the grave three days later…
and ascended to the heaven…
All we have to do is accept that grace…
A choice we have…
Is it tough to reach out
and love,
serve,
and give to others?
You bet it is…at times.
But, remember God calls us to do this not for our own gratification, but to bring glory to Him…
Not…because it is a ritual or a habit…
Brian Faust
Director of Youth Ministries
First United Methodist Church Garden City
brian@fumcgc.com
I would love to hear your thoughts about this blog…
September 5, 2009 at 6:13 pm |
Great discussion Brian. It seems much of my reading these days also addresses how we make work out of our Walk. I’m trying to keep my focus on being in Christ and letting what I do come out of that. It’s easier I think for us to do as the Pharisees and make to do lists “for” God. Having faith in a relationship and the resulting transformation is out of our control. Hmm “control.” Thanks for the blog.
January 1, 2010 at 8:23 pm |
Brian,enjoyed reading your blog.Praise God for His blessed word!Praise God were not left to or own thoughts and reasoning once we are born again!Praise God we don’t have to do Gods work in our own strength! 2 Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God,and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furished unto all good works. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season,out of season;reprove,rebuke,exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.Some one doing work in the flesh will burn out.We must flee to God and His word for Power to do the work He is calling us to do.We are saved by grace through faith,and our walk and work must be by accessing His grace=power through faith.In the book of Hebrews we are told it is impossible to Please God without faith. The book God has given us is the living word,He will thoughly furish us.James 1:5.Thank the Lord,He is all powerful and able to put His perfect book in our hands.I am stirred to share some exhortations from His word. Ephesians 1:17-23 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,the Father of glory,may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the Knowledge of him:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;that ye may know what is the hope of his calling ,and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his working of his mighty power.20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all principality,and power,and might,and dominion,and every name that is named,not only in this world,but also in that which is to come:22 And hath put all things under his feet,and gave him to be head over all things to the church,23 Which is the body,the fulness of him that filleth all in all.A ? for us, are we reckoning truth,accessing grace through faith?Are we in Christ and Christ in us?Colossians 1:24-29 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:25Whereof I am made a minister,according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations,but now is made manifest to his saints:27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;which is Christ in you,the hope of glory:28Whom we preach,warning every man,and teaching every man in all wisdom;that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:29 Whereunto I also labor,striving according to his working,which worketh in me mightily.How often can we claim what Paul’s Claiming? We get grace=Gods power as we accsess it by faith.Colossians 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodly.10 And ye are complete in him,which is the head of all principality and power.Amen!Thank you Lord!Romans Chapter 6 is the Good news to the children of God!Recking the truths of Romans 6.Put it to memory!I am not talking about sinless perfection.But victory over sin based on the work of our God,The Lord Jesus Christ.Resurrection Truth!We that are born again are in Christ He has won a great victory for us.We access the ability to serve,grace,Gods enabling power by faith.I am thankful I don’t have to work it up,maintain it or sustain it.I would get very tired trying to be God.We likely have tried and failed and know others who have also.Romans 6:9,10,11Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;death hath no more dominion over him.10 for in that he died, he died unto sin once:but in that he liveth,he liveth unto God.11Likewise recken ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.14For sin shall not have dominion over you:for ye are not under the law but undr grace.Wow, Glory to God!I can serve God and not sin!Brian Romans 6 is the gosple to the saints.Pray that God would help you preach it to your youth.Brian many are tired and frustrated because they are not doing what God has called us to do.His heart beat is the Great Commission,seeking the lost.The preaching of the Gosple is our calling.It’s his way of saving the lost.1 Corinthians 1 Read it preach it.We need preachers of truth in this wicked land.Our ways and thoughts are not his,he chose the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.John and Charles Wesley,Bob Jones Sr. knew the truth,they knew our Holy God.They preched the true Gosple.Many of the churches in our land have men and women in the pulpits who are not born again.They have a form of godlyness but are denying the power of God.I better get for now.I could go on and on Gods word is so rich.2 Thessalonians3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.Amen one more verse Matthew 11:28,29 Take my yoke upon you,and learn of me;for I am meek and lowly in heart:and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy,and my burden is light.Amen