Many of us are inspired by common phrases and ideas that stress our independence, our rights and our individuality in the world. They're often expressed with good intention, but many originate from a human perspective that contains a very serious flaw - we're not here to live for our own selfish reasons!
We were created for a divine purpose. Not so that we could live to impress each other or to give us an opportunity to show how independent (we think) we are. It wasn't so that we could live to promote how uniquely and sometimes shockingly different we can be, or how much better we are at something than anyone else. If any of these are the path that your little car is on ... then you're already lost. If you continue on this path, it's likely game over - you lose! Fortunately for us, our God is gracious and in His loving mercy He patiently allows us opportunities to start over and correct our path. We were created by God for His reasons and His purpose and not for any reasons that we may have elected to choose (are you seeing a theme here? This life's not all about us). So let's back the car up and make sure that we didn't take the wrong route at the first fork in the road. That's really what this whole series of conversations is about - making sure we're on the right path and that we didn't somehow end up on a dead end somewhere down the road.
We'll call this the introduction to our next set of conversations. Here's the outline;
2. Discipline And The Owner's Manual
(Discipline To Read The Word = Discipline to begin learning how the relationship works)
(Discipline To Read The Word = Discipline to begin learning how the relationship works)
A. Learning who our God is
B. Learning His ways
C. Learning what He desires from us
To begin, let's roll the car all the way back to Genesis 1. The word Genesis is a Greek word that depending on it's translation can, and in this case, does mean: "birth", "genealogy" or "history of origin". This my beloved friends, is our beginning - the beginning of mankind - our birth, and in it His purpose begins to be clearly expressed. Genesis is a book that talks about our God's outline for the whole of the Bible - what He deeply desires for us to know. He gave it to us so that we can know how to fulfill His purpose for our lives. He wrote the rules for our succcess and lays those rules out for us in His instruction manual (The Bible). He did this because He desperately wants us to win! From reading Genesis, we begin to understand the beginning, the foundational truth of all that exists. What we learn here begins to build the foundation for everything that is true!
If you haven't read Genesis for a while, or if you've never read it, I strongly suggest that you give it a good read. I could include the whole of the book of Genesis in this writing for convenience and with my commentary, it would be far longer than the book itself. Besides, what's really important isn't what I tell you, but what He tells you. But if you're truly interested in "getting it right", in walking with our God by His rules (which is the only way you can), then you'll have to have the discipline, in order to satisfy you own desperate need - to go read it yourself. If you want to survive - to live forever - it will require discipline. He's given us what we need, but from there, it's our responsiblity to take it! He doesn't force Himself on anyone. In His omnipotence combined with His unparalleled humility, He gives us the chance to make a choice. But the extreme consequences of not taking it will be the well earned fruit of our own laziness.
He's given us this new opportunity for "life", but if we really want it, there are requirements ... and they're all His. Not mine, not yours, your pastor's or anyone elses ... His. He's God - we're dust of the earth moulded by His hand and living only by His breath in us. If we really want to know our God and the rules that govern our lives (and they do, even if don't choose to recognize them), then we have to have the discipline to learn.
Comments
Post a Comment