I want to lose my life rather than waste it. Missionaries do it all the time. But here? How do I get past the materialism of my culture, the focus on what I can see?
In the book Don't Waste Your Life, ch.5, John Piper says
...it is right to risk for the cause of Christ. It is right to engage the enemy and say, "May the LORD do what seems good to him." It is right to serve the people of God, and say, "If I perish, I perish!" It is right to stand before the fiery furnace of affliction and refuse to bow down to the gods of this world. This is the road that leads to fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. At the end of every other road-secure and risk-free-we will put our face in our hands and say, "I've wasted it!"
1Peter 1:17-19 tells us that God had to pay blood to redeem us from the futile way of life we used to have. This should make us sober and live our lives in reverent fear, for Him.
I want to "bleed Jesus" - so that wherever you poke me, He comes out. We have missionary friends like that, Ken & Kath Ashcroft. No matter what the situation, they start speaking of Jesus. No matter what the conversation, you are sure to hear a genuine "praise the Lord!" or "isn't God good!" I want to be like that.
But how?
To be full of Jesus. To indeed, make much of Him. Wherever I am. Wherever He has put me. Surely He puts people in America, not to rot in materialism, but to be so full of Him that they want to tell others around them who He is, and how He is more precious than life.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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