What’s Lies Ahead // my future focus
The title warrants that I do a quick disclaimer in order to inform the reader that this post is about my spiritual state and next steps as opposed to my physical locale. That being said, here’s a little excerpt from my study time this morning by Scot McKnight, taken from the NIV Application Commentary on 1st Peter:
But the joy and delight we take in such things [...] can easily detract our attention from living before God in light of His final judgment and can steal any desire for the joy that can only come when our salvation is complete. We need in our materialistic culture a special grace from God to give us a desire for what lies beyond our days and our culture, and we need ‘a new vision of just how great God’s salvation and glory will eventually be‘. This vision will no doubt lead us to tone down our purchases and to rearrange our schedules to that first things are first.
Based on previous writings, it is certain that you can pick up how this kind of quote stirs me. What is curious, is why it does not stir me to further action, moreover, why more of us are not stirred to great action when we read these sorts of quotes. Is it our culture that has trained us to disregard the call on our lives to neglect the former things which are hollow and empty or is it our passionate love for ourselves that drives us away from a brokenness for the world, so much so that we turn a deaf ear to the despair that surrounds us and inward to our our own pleasures.
Guilty as charged of latter. What is most sad is that this behavior has resulted in a small vision of God’s glory which affects my worship of him thus affects my actions in everyday life. When the view of the greatness of God is diminished, I am not provoked to respond in the greatest of ways. When I do not respond in the greatest of ways, the world will notice as my concern for her decreases. It is a vicious but clear cycle. If this argument is difficult, work it backwards. Think on those moments when you have caught the greatest glimpse of Christ’s love and compassion for you or for the world. In those moments, there is nothing that can hinder or block an immediate response of “Yes, I’ll do whatever You call me to because of this great love.” I pray for those moments when my vision is increased. For when my understanding of who he is increases, everything changes.
We desperately need a renewed and greater vision of the glory of God that we may respond with more and more of our whole life until we have given everything that is in our capacity to give. Until we do that, open ourselves to receive this greater vision, we will be wrapped up in ourselves unable to live for the love of man or the glory of the King.
