Is Jesus Your Passionate Pursuit?

It is apparent to many people today that we live in a nation satisfied by “Convenient Christianity.”  Most of the Church is content to be as little engaged in the Great Commission as possible, “Please don't ask me to do too much.  I just want to come to church, see my friends, hear a message that doesn't ask too much of me, and do it all over again next Sunday.”  

Sometime ago, I read an article by Elizabeth Elliot describing her passionate pursuit of Jesus, and the radical desire that both she and her husband Jim had to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  She reflected on their trips to college campuses trying to stir up young people to join them and go to the nations.

They talked about their mission heroes, like Amy Carmichael and others, that had this radical passion to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth.  And yes, it included the acknowledgement that it might mean giving up one's life for Christ.  Of course, ultimately, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and others would give their lives for Jesus in Ecuador.

I spent some time thinking about some of the young people I know who are traveling to the mission field either long or short term, and about their radical commitment and passion to take the world back from Satan and win it for Jesus Christ.

At what price?  It will include some suffering, some loss, and yes, a lot of passion.  I think of the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians where he says, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…” (Philippians 3:8)  He was talking about his personal, passionate pursuit of Jesus.  But then later in vs.17 he said, “Join with others in following my example.”

Will you follow his example today?  Are you willing to make Jesus your “passionate pursuit?”  The words of Jim Elliot still ring out clearly a heart of passion, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

What will you give?  You may think you can't afford to give much, but you must know that you can't keep it forever anyway.  So, give it away for Jesus!

What's in a Word?

"I'm going on a mission trip!"  While my heart jumps when I hear about someone moved toward missions, I always wonder what "missions" really means to them.  Sometimes it's used to describe that needed, valuable trip to our own inner city.  Other times it involves a trip across the country or over the ocean to help reach out, build something, or bring healing to a needy community.  At other times it describes someone committing months, years or even their careers to engaging the unreached.

God has always been on mission.  His pursuit of the lost started in the Garden of Eden, and does not simply end in salvation.  God continues to pursue our hearts.   As He draws us deeper into worship, adoration, and understanding of His heart, He propels us out toward those He loves and for whom He died.  As with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, we have been blessed in order to bless others. 

When God's momentum sends us beyond the reach of the local church, when it sends us to those who have little or no access to the gospel, we call that missions.  Perhaps "pioneer missions" is a better term to separate it from the common and broad usage now.  Either way, bringing the gospel to the least reached is the passion which drives VMI.

What's in a word?  The driving force of God's pursuit, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10) compels us to do no less.

Comfort vs. Comfortable

This morning I've been contemplating the idea of comfort vs. comfortable.  I've thought about it many times as my life has been pretty uncomfortable for many years.  I had this notion that if I was a "good" Christian, that God would make my life comfortable.  Over the past several of years, God has been reminding me that God is the God of all comfort.  He promised to comfort us, He didn't promise to make us comfortable.

I think most of us get that confused, especially in America.  Most of us, myself included, work from the belief that God works everything out for the comfort of those who are called according to His purpose.  But, that is not how the God of the Bible works.

I revisited a passage this morning that has helped me better understand why being comfortable isn't God's goal for us, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Two things strike me about this; "in all our troubles", and "so that we can comfort those in any trouble."  We can expect all sorts of troubles.  But, we can also expect Him to comfort us so that we can comfort others in their troubles.

The more I get to know Christ, the more I realize how much of this whole journey is not about me.  It's not about what I'm feeling, thinking, or going through at any particular moment.  It's about how Jesus is responding to me so that I can in turn respond to others in like manner.  It's really about how much I love God and love others much more than it is about me being comfortable.

I do not like all troubles, not at all.  I don't think God likes them either.  His heart breaks for us when our heart breaks.  But, being the God of all comfort gives Him a large advantage.  And being His beloved children means we are recipients of all the comfort we need.  All in all, it is a pretty good exchange!

What does the difference between being comforted and being comfortable look like in your life? Do you spend too much energy on creating comfort for yourself?  Is God asking you to take a step of faith that may leave you feeling uncomfortable?  What does this text say to you?

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)