Camden, of the Rebelutionary blog 'Counter Cultural', has once again posted a thought provoking and Rebelutionary post. In this newest post he speaks to the issue of focusing on Jesus in place of things of "much less worth than God" and it seems an appropriate post to kick off a new week.
Camden has this to say:
If I'm going to blog an honest journey though my life, I have to honestly admit that I'm not perfect. Recently I've just felt a pull away from God -- not by anything big and striking, but in the small mundane things of life. My affections are directed to things of much less worth than God. When I'm not focused on God, I can almost feel it. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but it seems that a physical feeling, like a headache or an uneasiness.
It's frustrating, because it's not where I want to be. I want to say that my passion and love for Jesus grows every day, but some days I don't feel any closer. I want to fix everything in my life on Christ, but some days I just don't.
Perhaps this isn't the perfect example, but I think of a relationship with Jesus like looking at the sun. The longer you look at the sun, the more it's imprint will stick in your mind, even when you look elsewhere. If you take your gaze from the sun (or Son, if you will), eventually it will fade from your view. If we hide in the dark of our sin, the sun (like righteousness) seems invading and piercing, and we try to hide from the flares of the sun. It's when we keep our gaze focused on the sun that we most feel it's light.
Now, I'm not suggesting that we all go stare at the sun. I am suggesting that we fixate our minds on Jesus. I told you that I'm not feeling as focused on Christ right now as I'd like. But how can I fix this? "Fix your eyes on Jesus," is great (Hebrews 12:2), but what can we practically do to make Jesus our greatest fixation?
I suggest that we make tangible changes. In the past I've noticed that computer video-games tend to be a draw-point to keep me from God. Instead of merely trying to avoid these games or only play them only at certain times, I get to my computer control panel and uninstall the game. Computer games aren't wrong, but it's when we are consumed with them beyond the point of Christ that we fall into sin.
If anything, this post is more for me than for you. Whether your stumbling block is electronics or not, I pray that you would consider your life, what takes your time, and who deserves to take your time. Changes aren't always simple or easy to make, but they're always worth it in the end. Jesus is the greatest fixation we can have, so why give our primary focus to anything else?
Camden
This post also serves as a great reminder to us of the importance of small things in living a Rebelutionary lifestyle and reminded me personally of this article on the subject by Alex King. A key section of the article says..."doing hard things that are large consist of doing many hard things that are small. Without doing these small things, we can’t achieve those huge goals. Look at this line from the parable of the talents in Luke 19:17, “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”
This isn’t simply a kingdom principle that Christ is talking about; it’s also a logistical principle. Yes, for our own good, God will hold back the cities until we can handle the little. But we should also realize that if we didn’t do the little, then we’d never accomplish the cities anyway."
A closing thought...remember that "if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got." Let us purpose to address needed change in our walk with God not just with "desire", "good intentions" and talk, but also with actions and structural changes both large and small.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:22-25, New King James Version)
Many thanks to Camden and Alex for their timely and timeless exhortations and wisdom! If you are blessed by Camden's post as I was, please pop over to his blog and leave a comment. :-)
God bless!
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