The question isn't, "how does the gospel fit into my life?" Rather, "how does my life fit into the gospel?"
I think we humans naturally desire for our lives to be nicely compartmentalized. We try to balance different aspects of our lives and make priority lists. Not just with day-to-day duties, but with emotions, spirituality, relationships, etc. We want things to fit in a box so that we can see it, understand it, and control it. We try to fit Jesus into the empty spaces in our life's bookshelves.
Funny thing is, we just weren't made to live that way. We were made to submit to, appreciate, love, and obey Someone whose plan is just way too big for our brains. Whose ways are too good for us to comprehend. Whose character is too holy for us to see. We were created for Him and by Him. We try to make Him our creation by stuffing Him into our little lives.
If we took some time to think about this and read His Word, we'd quickly find that this way of living is not good for us. Do we really think we are better than God? Do we think we can organize better than the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe? Do we think we can plan better than the Orchestrator of the events of history that led to Jesus' incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension? Do we think we can control circumstances better than the One who commands the wind and waves with His voice? Are we crazy!? Yes, we are...spiritually insane.
The remnants of sinful flesh cling to us as we daily die to that old self and strive toward perfection. This is why we find ourselves falling back into these old ways of trying to fit the Gospel into our lives. God, help us to see You and ourselves rightly, that we might understand that it is better for us to submit our entire lives unto You...the only Wise, True, Good, and Powerful God.
And may we stop trying to make Jesus and the Gospel somehow work with our lives, and instead throw our lives away in order that Jesus and His Good News would BE our lives!
I think we humans naturally desire for our lives to be nicely compartmentalized. We try to balance different aspects of our lives and make priority lists. Not just with day-to-day duties, but with emotions, spirituality, relationships, etc. We want things to fit in a box so that we can see it, understand it, and control it. We try to fit Jesus into the empty spaces in our life's bookshelves.
Funny thing is, we just weren't made to live that way. We were made to submit to, appreciate, love, and obey Someone whose plan is just way too big for our brains. Whose ways are too good for us to comprehend. Whose character is too holy for us to see. We were created for Him and by Him. We try to make Him our creation by stuffing Him into our little lives.
If we took some time to think about this and read His Word, we'd quickly find that this way of living is not good for us. Do we really think we are better than God? Do we think we can organize better than the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe? Do we think we can plan better than the Orchestrator of the events of history that led to Jesus' incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension? Do we think we can control circumstances better than the One who commands the wind and waves with His voice? Are we crazy!? Yes, we are...spiritually insane.
The remnants of sinful flesh cling to us as we daily die to that old self and strive toward perfection. This is why we find ourselves falling back into these old ways of trying to fit the Gospel into our lives. God, help us to see You and ourselves rightly, that we might understand that it is better for us to submit our entire lives unto You...the only Wise, True, Good, and Powerful God.
And may we stop trying to make Jesus and the Gospel somehow work with our lives, and instead throw our lives away in order that Jesus and His Good News would BE our lives!
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