In Chapter 4, Platt describes our purpose on earth as "enjoying God's grace, extending God's glory." How does that play into the discussion regarding what it means to be a success?
What if we delineated three definitions of success (admittedly oversimplified)...
a. American dream: Success = living to your fullest potential.
b. Shallow Christian dream: Success = being saved from foolish ways, living a good moral life but not necessarily called to deal with global problems.
c. Platt's Christian dream: Success = being saved from foolish ways and getting to join in God's mission of extending his glory throughout all creation.
I'm feeling called to #3, although the other 2 have been my world view at times in the past.
One thing I appreciate about Platt ch. 4 is the stories of people who are extending God's glory through all creation. Makes his ideas more do-able.
ReplyDelete"The time is now, come church arise. Love with his hands, see with his eyes. Bind it around us, let it never leave us. And they will know us by our love." That's the chorus of a song I listen to every day by Kip Long (Memphis vocal group). I want to be a successful Christian. But I have to figure out what that is first. I truly believe it is to show God's love to others. Why, as "church-goers", is that so hard? Ok, it's not so hard on Sunday mornings. But why then, do we go to our workplaces Monday cussing? Or lay on the horn when someone speeding cuts us off? Have we been outwardly irritated and vocal when the check out girl takes too long or seems distracted? Could the speeder be hurriedly heading to the hospital where a loved one is dying? What if the check out girl's husband just left her the night before? HOW do we show God's love? Every minute of every day? That's success! If Christians could focus on that ONE thing, how many outsiders would be drawn to us? Not to our building, but to what we "have" ~ the love in our hearts.
ReplyDeleteI also feel compelled to mention my thoughts on mission work. I whole-heartedly believe God gave EVERY person a gift(s). Someone may have the gift of traveling overseas. Others may have the gift of local missions. While still others may have the gift of writing cards, visiting the sick, cooking a meal for someone in need. But I think where most Christians fail is thinking their contribution TO the missions work "their congregation" does is enough. "Well, I put my check in the plate. It should provide water in another country somewhere. Yeah me!" That's not enough. Find your mission field! Work it with God's love.
Ok, let me clarify something. I am talking at MYSELF. For example, in our neighborhood, there were 2 little dogs. I am SCARED TO DEATH of dogs, even small ones. These would run all over the neighborhood. We live across the street from these people. They also allowed their really nice wood fence to fall down and left it. I just saw these "renters" as a little bit of trouble. We left our garage open one day and guess who made themselves at home digging through it. Yep, the dogs. I was not happy. Chad took the dog over to the neighbor's house and asked them kindly to keep their dogs on leashes or in the house. I was not happy. Oh, I mentioned that already. This was in the early spring. I just found out 2 weeks ago this same lady lost a baby to a miscarriage this past spring. I missed an opportunity to show God's love because I was inconvenienced.
ReplyDeleteDawn - My co-workers make me cuss too.
ReplyDeleteSeriously - I hear your concern. It's easier to praise God at the church building than it is to promote his glory in an irritating situation.
ReplyDeleteI suppose all of us missionaries miss the boat on a regular basis. Yet God is gracious to keep using us in spite of our goofs. If you're still in touch with your favorite dog owners, you can still be a blessing.
I happen to Lean more toward option A. :)
ReplyDeleteMarquis! I haven't seen you in ages.
ReplyDeleteMarquis - I love your honesty. A lot of Christians could learn from you!
ReplyDeleteI think like so many I am driven to excel at things through personal effort. It doesn't matter either if you are a CEO, a pastor, or like me, a stay at home mom. The struggle to not define success by what we "get done" every day, and what we accomplish at our "jobs," (at home or away) is our natural tendency. It is certainly my natural tendency. I do believe that that as I exercise spiritual disciplines that draw me closer to God, whether that is fasting, prayer, reading my bible with an open heart, or whatever, it draws me every closer to the number 3 option. I find that I want to be a part of God's solution to the hurting and dying. When I delete those disciplines from my daily diet of activities, not so much.
ReplyDelete