Are we living just lives?

I'm coming across the word 'radical' almost daily at the moment, and got to thinking through how radical gospel living ought to look. In what ways was Jesus radical? He loved people with reckless abandon, even to the point of losing his life. His priority was always to reach people with the good news of salvation, and to point them to a life lived for others, as his was for them. This is radical - but I think can lead us to all sorts of hypocrisy if we opt in or out of this according to what we feel is important or no. The gospel is life changing and I'm convinced radical Christian living is about living all of our lives in a way that boasts in Jesus and follows his pattern of putting others first.

So, as Jesus loves the poor we should too - but how does this look? One of our key traps is to give money to aid or charitable causes or missions, and yet ignore the impact our own lifestyles have on the very places we're sending aid to. If there are poor people struggling to make a living from farming that puts food on our shelves, and that we buy at a fraction of it's true value - then no wonder these people can barely afford to eat themselves. And we send money to their aid? What hypocrites! Surely, if we buy food that is ethically traded and kind to the people producing it in the first place, then we are being much more just than if we perpetuate the problem by consuming unjustly and give money to make up for it.

But lets not be pragmatic about this - change starts with the heart and is a Spirit led thing. As we read the gospels we see Jesus truly loving all people, the rich and the poor, the uneducated and the educated, the good and the bad...he loves all people and accepts anyone who recognises their need of him. So, if Jesus loves the people who farm our food, and the people who transport it to us and the people in the shops where we buy it etc, and our very selves - the person we know best and whose sin we are most aware of and appauled by, then we, for love of Jesus, should reflect his love of the poor. And that means addressing the lifestyles we take for granted, asking questions of the shops we use, the governments who represent us in the world, and more closely to home, of one another. Does what we consume love the poor? Or does it care more about owning than loving, eating than nourishing, wealth than investment?

Doesn't radical gospel living mean applying the gospel to every single decision we make? And as our whole lives reflect God's goodness, so the world looks on at our good deeds and glorifies our father in heaven.

Rejoice - again I'll say it, Rejoice!

Praying - a head on collision of the will of God and the will of man?

Well is it? Sometimes, forgive my pessimism, that is just how it feels. We sit in circles and ask God to so 'Something Amazing'...but what if God's amazing doesn't seem so amazing to us? We thank God that he's answered our prayers when we get what we've asked, but how often do we genuinely thank God for answers that are unseen, or worse, unwanted?

For a while now I have been struggling with corporate prayer, and was forced to face up to this in a Family meeting recently where we were asked as a family how we could do better, and what were the underlying issues preventing us from praying together more. I realised that a growing unease and resentment has been growing in my attitude to prayer as I see it as a place where Christians can be very glib and exceptionally self-serving, and not least myself. I come to God and ask him for lots of things and thank him for visible successes of the gospel in the lives of those around me. But there's no obvious recognition that God is at work even in adversity, that sometimes he hears, but doesn't respond as we have asked or indeed in a way we can particularly identify at all. Shouldn't we be expressing gratitude to God in all things?
My pastor helpfully clarified that, yes we should be thankful in all things, but that doesn't mean for all things e.g we shouldn't be thankful that a relative has died, as God doesn't want people to die and it isn't part of how he intended his creation to be. And so, it's ok that I should instinctively find it impossible to be truly thankful for such horrible and painful things. But we should be thankful in all things - because God does work all things out for the good of those who fear him, and Jesus has definitely still died and been raised to new life despite what troubles come my way.

So can we recognise God more? What about a whole evening dedicated to just recognising what we've prayed to God and how he's answered us? How about pinning down the answers we feel we have and haven't had, and rather than shying away from the bad, confessing God is sovereign over these things and will work out good from them in ways we may never understand? Surely we'd be keener to pray if we pointed out to each other, reminded each other, that God does hear our prayers and explored with each other the ways we can see that in our own lives and communities.

We'll be having a day of prayer and fasting in September - and my prayer now and then will be that we will be more God centred in our prayers, genuinely seeking his will and his glory and recognising our sovereign God as Lord of all, even the hard and the unseen things in our lives...

Rejoice Always,
Rachel

Forgiven much and yet unwilling to forgive? What's with that?

I ask myself - why can't I forgive, when I've been so abundantly forgiven? Why so hard to let go of hurts when our Lord is faithful and just to forgive even the most repeated and loathsome of my own sins? I must have a very small view of the gospel, because when I take a step back and look at it (albeit with blurred vision) I realise it is not only foolish, but damaging to hang on to bitterness for wrongs done against me.

First of all, if I really understand that my life, and the lives of others are truly only about giving God glory, then I'll realise that I'm owed nothing, either by God or the people around me. They and I owe God everything. I'll also realise just how privileged I am that God has chosen to make living for his glory a beautiful, joy-giving, praise-inducing thing. And with that in mind, and in my heart, when 'bad things' happen, I'll rightly feel a sadness that things aren't just how God intended them to be, but rather than feel righteous indignation, I'll grieve the hurt caused to God by people choosing not to live his way.

Then I can let God, who I have also wronged with disproportionate frequency and zeal, deal with that sin, as well as mine. Be that on the Cross where Christ pays for the sins of those who trust him, or at final judgement for those who don't. I'll be sadder about those people who don't trust Jesus, knowing that the judgement they face is terrible. I'll be spurred on to share Jesus with them, both because I long for God to be honoured by them as is right for our loving God and creator, and because I love these people and want them to experience the mercy I too experience evey day.

So - I must choose to forgive when wrong is done to me. And why? Because it really is God's to deal with and he really has forgiven me so much in Christ. Who wouldn't want to be more like Jesus as a result of all of this?

Rejoice, again I will say rejoice!

Rachel