I don’t remember who made this brilliant statement: 'You can’t jump across cross a canyon in two jumps, your first jump has to be long enough to make it all the way!' How ofted do we look at life from this perspective, planning our steps to cross a divide yet facing leaps to reach our objective.
True, there are some goals and objectives that need much courage and strength, perhaps a long climb out of a valley to reach a mountaintop, or the crossing of a dry desert to reach a promise of abundance. These are journeys that many of us face at some point in our lives. Most challenges are negotiable to us, though our journey sometimes comes to a deep valley or canyon that is somehow too big or challenging for us to cross.
The scripture talks about a canyon that divides God and man. It’s a canyon man cannot cross no matter how hard he tries, the greatest leap will never reach a distance sufficient to reach God. So all our best efforts are futile. God however provides the bridge of grace and reaches over the divide to us.
This act of amazing grace is what Christians call salvation. We have been saved from a canyon of sin and hopelessness, not by our own good effort but by God’s grace. Yet many Christians, after receiving God’s all encompassing grace fail in it’s application in their day to day lives. We fall back into a performance mode, requiring ourselves and others to meet our standard in faith displaying actions.
Talk about transformation seems to be self focused on what I can do, or what God can do through ME! So often we revel in self amazement. Yes, we do acknowledge God and give Him lip service in our praise (almost as an obligation), but how much of our lives are truly submitted to Him? Are we more focused on what God does for/through me (perhaps receiving praise for all we do), or are we humbly submitted to serving Him and others? What is the underlying objective of our actions?
In the end all our goodness and deeds are as filthy rags to God. This is true not only before, but also after receiving His gift of salvation. Our performance and good deeds may impress our boss, pastor, neighbor and friends, but it will never in itself satisfy God. So what then is He looking for in me?
Simply an acknowledgement of who He is, and an acknowledgement of who we are in him. It’s not a matter of proving our value, worth or position; but acknowledging and applying the fact that we are adopted kids of The King! And what does a good king do? What does his royal family do?
First and foremost royaly has been called to serve their nation, serve their people. And this is exactly what we’ve been called to do (to be a royal priesthood. 1Peter 2:9). Have you seen rulers and leaders who are intensely focused on bringing themselves or their family glory? How much praise do they truly receive from their subjects? Usually not much, other than lip service, the noise they create for themselves. Dictatorships are often built on self glorification, and seldom last for long.
But look at leaders, rulers and kings who sincerely serve their subjects. Are they not honored by their subjects? Serving people is the essence of the heart of God, and envelops the transformational attitude and acknowledgement of position He seeks to instill in our lives. We have not been called to be children of The King to receive praise, but to serve His subjects. This requires a jump across the divide between our mindset to God’s heart. In this remembering who we are, our position and responsibility.
Lip service is cheap indeed. We can make much noise about God and ourselves without making any lasting impact at all. However, serving The King’s subjects is where we can make a true impact in transforming societies and lives, bringing glory to God through our humble service and obedience to The King’s agenda, not ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment