All of us are on a quest in life. In the previous post we talked about it in brief. Our quest can take us from a small village to a large city. It can take us from being under our parents to being independent with all the things we need.
Our quest also comes with routines and responsibilities that, for some, are ‘choking the life out of them’! Is this the life that we are supposed to live? Where is God in all of this? All we seem to do is play the ‘rat race’! What is the Christian life? What is God’s Will for our lives?
Most Christians go to church (or attend a Youtube church service), sing worship songs, put money in the offertory, and do other ritual things. Our Sunday Christian life is different from the rest of our week. In all this, we hope that God will look favorably on our plans and our hope for the future. Yet there is suffering. Yet there seems to be no purpose to life. Our goals seem too shallow. Is landing that dream job the end goal of life? Or owning a house? Or buying that new bike or car?
Let’s face the facts:
Life is hard.
Life isn’t fair.
We need to work hard.
There are risks.
Sometimes, we face failures.
These and many more facts have driven people crazy over millennia! Some have tried to coax or control the power of the gods or nature with rituals, incantations, and sacrifices! Sadly, in some cases, human sacrifice too!
Some saw the sufferings and have deduced that there is no God. In their defense, they see that all suffer! Rich or poor, theist or atheist! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to life.
Some turn to science and try to make their lives better. While that is good for humanity, it doesn’t help with morality. Many struggle because humans aren’t kind all the time! There is a lot of apathy! Humans have to make an effort to be moral!
What is a Christian supposed to do?
We are called to know and live as per the will of God.
Ephesians 5:15-17
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Someone rightly said this statement:
“A Christian living without communicating with God is like a fish trying to live outside of water!”
Let’s read 1 Peter 1:15-16
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Living in ignorance isn’t wise. Unfortunately, this is a common Christian habit:
1. Live however I want.
2. Make plans for the future.
3. Pray asking for God’s seal of approval.
4. Read devotionals or a set passage.
5. Go to church.
But how do we know if God is going to approve? Is it something He will be happy with? How can one know the will/desires of God? The Hebrew scribes who compiled the book of Psalms knew about this difficulty and wrote a psalm to address this!
Psalm 1:2-3
2 ...but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers ...
This isn’t the ‘clear-your-mind-and-sit-on-the-floor’ method of meditation. The Hebrew word used here is “HAGAH”. This is the habit of muttering/mumbling the text, over and over to try and understand what the text means. This is a kind of struggle, wrestling with the text to understand what God wants. As believers, we need to spend time reading God’s word and doing the hard work to understand its meaning and to help us to be able to better know what God’s will is in our own lives . The one who understands is compared to a tree planted by streams of water; full of life and prosperous!
When we spend time “wrestling” to understand God’s word, we can then pray in a way that helps us voice our requests to God with the knowledge that we have gained by reading His spirit-filled word. We will need to change. Change is hard. That is why we ask God to help us with the change needed to become the person God wants us to be. It is done in submissive humility to our King, our Lord, the Christ.
Life will still be hard. We have to keep at this cycle of reading and wrestling with God’s word and praying accordingly. However, our goals will be different, seasoned with the will of a Holy God that brings a transformation in our character and our relationships; a life with purpose and meaning.
Thank you for reading this far! If you enjoyed this and you are in Bangalore, please do join us for worship. Our Young Adults Fellowship meets on the 2nd & 3rd Sundays every month after church. You can look up our ministries and schedules here.
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