“How beautiful are the arms, which have embraced Christ – the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which are treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted for Him.”
-Christina Rosetti, 1880
So often we get caught up in the circumstances that surround us that we forget to be thankful, grateful, giving people. We are so focused on what we’re going to do tomorrow and next week and next year that we forget to see the face of a little child wanting to show us their newest discovery or the empty soul that passes us on the way to the supermarket. We worry about our future, forgetting that many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord directs his steps. We worry about our families, when we are promised that He has given His angels charge over us to guard us in all our ways. We lose sleep thinking about things that might not happen, and we sleep when we should be restless over things that are happening. Could it be that we have become so self-focused that we are missing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ? I pray we’re not.
Recently, I picked up a book entitled “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. Though I have not yet read very far, I find that the title has got me thinking, “Am I wasting my life? Am I really giving everything that I have for the work of the Kingdom?” I know that I have had times that I have allowed my thinking to go off track. I have felt discouraged or defeated because I have taken the focus of my identity away from being a child of God and tried to find my identity in being “someone important” or in having a significant career or even in one day being a wife and a mother. These things, though not inherently wrong, can cause the focus of my life to be taken off of Christ and shifted onto myself. But what would it be like for young people today to long to be the arms, eyes, lips, feet, and hands of Christ? What would happen to the world if young men would be men? What if they would stand up and be the valiant, chivalrous defenders of the purity of the Gospel and of mankind? What if they would defend woman and children with honor, and live lives of conviction and strength? What if women would break free from the net of feminism and self-worth and return to the beauty of femininity and grace and elegance? What if they would submit to the leadership of their parents or husbands? What if they would find joy once again in being a wife and a mother? How would our world be a different place?
Is there joy in worship anymore? Is there satisfaction at the foot of the cross? What has happened to North America? We have everything, yet so many have nothing, really. I see those who have every material possession they could dream of. I see those who have wealth and beauty and prominence, but it only takes one look into their eyes to see that the emptiness there is so deep. We have everything if we are in Christ. Pastor John Piper says that North America is the hardest place to be a Christian. He is so right. It is here that we have to fight so hard to find our joy and strength in Christ.
I once read a missionary’s testimony of the time her and her husband were held captive in the Philippine jungles. She said that everyday when she needed something, she prayed and asked God for it. If she needed water, it was “Lord, I’m thirsty.” If she needed food, it was “Lord, I’m hungry. Please provide for us.” Every material and physical and emotional need was a petition for God to provide. The reason we live is found in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “…there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” This is what every North American Christian must understand. It is for Him and through Him alone we live.
Live. Fight. Pray. Strive. Ask. Seek. Knock. Enter. Believe
-Christina Rosetti, 1880
So often we get caught up in the circumstances that surround us that we forget to be thankful, grateful, giving people. We are so focused on what we’re going to do tomorrow and next week and next year that we forget to see the face of a little child wanting to show us their newest discovery or the empty soul that passes us on the way to the supermarket. We worry about our future, forgetting that many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord directs his steps. We worry about our families, when we are promised that He has given His angels charge over us to guard us in all our ways. We lose sleep thinking about things that might not happen, and we sleep when we should be restless over things that are happening. Could it be that we have become so self-focused that we are missing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ? I pray we’re not.
Recently, I picked up a book entitled “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. Though I have not yet read very far, I find that the title has got me thinking, “Am I wasting my life? Am I really giving everything that I have for the work of the Kingdom?” I know that I have had times that I have allowed my thinking to go off track. I have felt discouraged or defeated because I have taken the focus of my identity away from being a child of God and tried to find my identity in being “someone important” or in having a significant career or even in one day being a wife and a mother. These things, though not inherently wrong, can cause the focus of my life to be taken off of Christ and shifted onto myself. But what would it be like for young people today to long to be the arms, eyes, lips, feet, and hands of Christ? What would happen to the world if young men would be men? What if they would stand up and be the valiant, chivalrous defenders of the purity of the Gospel and of mankind? What if they would defend woman and children with honor, and live lives of conviction and strength? What if women would break free from the net of feminism and self-worth and return to the beauty of femininity and grace and elegance? What if they would submit to the leadership of their parents or husbands? What if they would find joy once again in being a wife and a mother? How would our world be a different place?
Is there joy in worship anymore? Is there satisfaction at the foot of the cross? What has happened to North America? We have everything, yet so many have nothing, really. I see those who have every material possession they could dream of. I see those who have wealth and beauty and prominence, but it only takes one look into their eyes to see that the emptiness there is so deep. We have everything if we are in Christ. Pastor John Piper says that North America is the hardest place to be a Christian. He is so right. It is here that we have to fight so hard to find our joy and strength in Christ.
I once read a missionary’s testimony of the time her and her husband were held captive in the Philippine jungles. She said that everyday when she needed something, she prayed and asked God for it. If she needed water, it was “Lord, I’m thirsty.” If she needed food, it was “Lord, I’m hungry. Please provide for us.” Every material and physical and emotional need was a petition for God to provide. The reason we live is found in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “…there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” This is what every North American Christian must understand. It is for Him and through Him alone we live.
Live. Fight. Pray. Strive. Ask. Seek. Knock. Enter. Believe
"We lose sleep thinking about things that might not happen, and we sleep when we should be restless over things that are happening..." How true.
ReplyDeleteI havent watched the video yet but I love your post, Sarah. I wish we could get together and talk about "Jesus living".
Leeland ~ Follow You
ReplyDelete"You live among the least of these the weary and the weak and it would be a tragedy for me to turn away. All my needs you have supplied. When I was dead you gave me life. How could I not give it away so freely?
And I'll: follow you into the homes of the broken, I'll follow you into the world, I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God, I'll follow you into the world.
Use my hands, use my feet to make your kingdom come. To the corners of the earth until your work is done. 'Cause faith without works is dead and on the cross your blood was shed so how could we not give it away so freely?
I'll follow you into the homes of the broken, I'll follow you into the world, meet the needs for the poor and the needy God, Ill follow you into the world.
I give all myself, I give all myself, I give all myself to YOU."