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A Christian
Thought for the Month - August 2012
Thoughts for believers & seekers
Thought for the Month -
Committed to the Goal - Part 2
Philippians 3:13,14 Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Well having seen something of the Olympics, there just had to be a Part 2 to this subject of being “Committed to a Goal”. Watching the effort, the skill, the zest or zeal of some of these athletes is just awesome! What is it that drives people to these peaks of achievement? Yes, this Gold medal winner is THE best in the whole world! That is incredible! What has almost been odd sometimes is the way silver or bronze medals have been demoted in some people’s eyes but, hey, they are still the second or third best in the whole world and that also is incredible!
But then you hear Government and media people talking about how they think watching the Olympics will encourage the rest of us to get fitter and healthier and thus save the Health Service millions of pounds - and I think what planet are they living on? This is no doubt a reaction that will vary according to age group, but as part of an older age group, watching these super men and women doesn’t make me think, “Ah, I could become like them if I just spend some more hours in the Gym!” No, I just sit there thinking, “Wow! I could never be like that in a million years!”
And then I begin to wonder: “I wonder if that is what all those millions who stay outside of church actually think about not being a Christian? Do they actually think, ‘Wow, I could never be like that!’” And then I begin to wonder if the church has conveyed a wrong message, because over the years that is exactly what I have heard people say: “I couldn’t be like you!” I don’t want you to be, and even more, God doesn’t want you to be like me. He wants you to become the real you, the person He sees you could be!
I say all this because I am sure that we, the church, do convey a “This is what you ought to become” message when all the while it should be, “What would you like God make you become?” Now don’t immediately say, “A billionaire!” Yes, I would like to be rich as well, but do I want to become rich and unhappy, because it seems that so many rich people are unhappy. So now you say, “How about rich and happy, then?” Fair enough, but put aside the idea of a God with a magic wand, how about settling for the ‘happy’ bit for the moment?
Can I share a secret with you? God actually wants you to be happy. How do I know that? It’s incredibly simple. The Bible says, “God is love.” In other words it is making the claim (and we briefly thought about this back in February) that everything that God thinks, says or does is an expression of love. Put aside the fact that you don’t understand a lot of the Bible and you haven’t yet been able to see how it is all an expression of love, just accept that thought about ‘God is love’ for the moment and see where it takes you.
When you truly love someone you want good for them; in fact you want the best for them! Now just suppose that God really isn’t the ogre that so many people seem to thing He is. Suppose He is absolutely wonderful and totally loving. I could give you fifty verses from all over the Bible that back that up. Supposing He’s saying, “I’m not here to slap you for the silly things you’ve done in life, I want to come and straighten them out for you, and make life great for you.” And again I could give you a whole load of verses from the Bible that confirm that.
God doesn’t require us to enter an ethics gymnasium and train to be good. When you think about it goodness is linked to selflessness and we all struggle with being self-centred so even good things we do are motivated by our self-concern. So, realising the struggle we have, God says, take your eyes off yourself and put them on me and realise I love you. Let that thought fill you. Dwell on that thought, think about it regularly and realise that the whole point of Jesus coming was to to deal with the guilt that you so often feel, so that you can stop worrying about ‘how to be good’, because real goodness will follow receiving real love, Receiving real love is what changes you, not struggling to be good, not trying to please God. He’s pleased when you just believe He loves you and let that love transform you.
In the meantime, all you Olympians (and the BBC), we think you’re wonderful and we thank you for the joy and pleasure you’ve given us over these days. Perhaps next month, we’ll see where it’s left us.
Philippians 3:13,14 Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Well having seen something of the Olympics, there just had to be a Part 2 to this subject of being “Committed to a Goal”. Watching the effort, the skill, the zest or zeal of some of these athletes is just awesome! What is it that drives people to these peaks of achievement? Yes, this Gold medal winner is THE best in the whole world! That is incredible! What has almost been odd sometimes is the way silver or bronze medals have been demoted in some people’s eyes but, hey, they are still the second or third best in the whole world and that also is incredible!
But then you hear Government and media people talking about how they think watching the Olympics will encourage the rest of us to get fitter and healthier and thus save the Health Service millions of pounds -
And then I begin to wonder: “I wonder if that is what all those millions who stay outside of church actually think about not being a Christian? Do they actually think, ‘Wow, I could never be like that!’” And then I begin to wonder if the church has conveyed a wrong message, because over the years that is exactly what I have heard people say: “I couldn’t be like you!” I don’t want you to be, and even more, God doesn’t want you to be like me. He wants you to become the real you, the person He sees you could be!
I say all this because I am sure that we, the church, do convey a “This is what you ought to become” message when all the while it should be, “What would you like God make you become?” Now don’t immediately say, “A billionaire!” Yes, I would like to be rich as well, but do I want to become rich and unhappy, because it seems that so many rich people are unhappy. So now you say, “How about rich and happy, then?” Fair enough, but put aside the idea of a God with a magic wand, how about settling for the ‘happy’ bit for the moment?
Can I share a secret with you? God actually wants you to be happy. How do I know that? It’s incredibly simple. The Bible says, “God is love.” In other words it is making the claim (and we briefly thought about this back in February) that everything that God thinks, says or does is an expression of love. Put aside the fact that you don’t understand a lot of the Bible and you haven’t yet been able to see how it is all an expression of love, just accept that thought about ‘God is love’ for the moment and see where it takes you.
When you truly love someone you want good for them; in fact you want the best for them! Now just suppose that God really isn’t the ogre that so many people seem to thing He is. Suppose He is absolutely wonderful and totally loving. I could give you fifty verses from all over the Bible that back that up. Supposing He’s saying, “I’m not here to slap you for the silly things you’ve done in life, I want to come and straighten them out for you, and make life great for you.” And again I could give you a whole load of verses from the Bible that confirm that.
God doesn’t require us to enter an ethics gymnasium and train to be good. When you think about it goodness is linked to selflessness and we all struggle with being self-
In the meantime, all you Olympians (and the BBC), we think you’re wonderful and we thank you for the joy and pleasure you’ve given us over these days. Perhaps next month, we’ll see where it’s left us.