Living FOR, not just with

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16-17)

Choice - to select from a number of possibilities - usually because you know something about what it is you are choosing. I choose one of a couple of brands of toilet tissue because I know the quality of those brands. I sometimes see other choices that may cost a little less, but I don't choose them because I have no clue as to their quality. I choose one brand of dish detergent because I have observed what it does when I make a sudsy water to wash my pots and pans. We make all kinds of choices each and every day, some of them pretty much a matter of 'routine' in our lives. There are choices we make consciously and others we make subconsciously, something we might not even realize we are doing. How is it we choose to serve Christ today? Is it a conscious or subconscious decision? Is it purposeful or by rote? If we truly love him as he has loved us, I daresay a relationship that is 'rote' or 'routine' is not really a relationship at all!

Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippian church: "To me, living means living FOR Christ...but if I live, I can do more and more fruitful work for Christ." (1:21) Christ's command to his disciples those many years ago still stands today. We are to be 'grafted into' his family, taking care of one another, loving one another as he first loved us. A relationship is established in his 'choosing' us, but it is our responsibility to keep the relationship fresh and vital by actually engaging with him each and every day - consciously. When you first start a relationship, you make very conscious decisions to get to know each other, what the other person likes, how they relate to you when they are happy, tired, sad, or hungry. You are learning 'about' them, but does that learning ever truly end? Not if you want it to be a vital and lasting relationship!

Jesus asks us to learn who he really is - yes, learn about him, but we must also learn things we can only know by spending time WITH him. We can know a whole lot 'about' Jesus and totally miss out on the joy of actually getting to spend time in his presence. We call that being a 'churchgoer' - one who merely warms the pew with their presence, but totally misses that Christ's presence is right there beside them. When we really want to grow in relationship with Christ, we soon discover we want to see certain fruit develop within our lives. The fruit we might desire is gentleness of spirit, kindness of heart, wisdom to speak words of hope and comfort. We only develop fruit through attachment to the vine. We only remain attached and vital when we take that time at his feet developing the relationship. Just sayin!

Christ in us - the hope begins there

When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves. (Viktor E. Frankl)

I would challenge this thought a bit to remind each of us that change is not our job alone. We try a lot of things to change things about ourselves. We diet, wanting to look a certain way in our clothes - but then we bounce back to needing to wear that bigger size. We deep clean our homes, wanting that 'clean and fresh' look - but then we drift back into allowing the clutter to build and the dust bunnies to collect. WE try, but God asks us to allow him to transform us.

You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. (Romans 2:3-4)

God isn't 'soft' on our sin - he might not always crack down hard on us right away, allowing us to proceed as we so desperately desire. When we have pursued our sin to the end, we feel guilty and then we want to change. We don't ever change just because we feel guilty - we need a new mindset and that only comes through the power of the Holy Spirit within. We do not change our attitude, mindset, or actions alone. We need God moving in us and through us if we ever want to change.

Over the past couple of days, we have explored the importance of our mindset and how the mindset we keep formulates our expectations (hopes, beliefs). Until God moves in us, change won't come forth from us. It is Christ in us that is the hope of our glory. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ...we teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me. (Colossians 1:27-29)

The power of Christ works through us - it begins deep within us when we feel conviction because of one of our weaknesses. Then he works within us, changing our mindset, and ultimately, he changes our 'heart-set'. Change is possible when the heart is changed by his power and through his grace. Change becomes 'permanent' or 'lasting' when we allow Christ to be the one making the change within us - building new habits within us until we no longer pursue that sin any longer. Just sayin!