This summer has been an opportunity to grow, and I have to admit, I am not sure that I have taken full advantage. One thing I have done, is look at myself from the inside out. What I see is not pleasant at times. I remind myself of someone who knows what to do, but doesn't end up doing it, which is dangerously like the man mentioned in James 4. I am doing what I can to alleviate that guy, and have been doing some reading. C.S. Lewis at the end of Mere Christianity says this: The more we get what we now call "ourselves" out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become....our real selves are all waiting for us in him...The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surrounding and natural desires." He goes on, I may share more later.
What struck me here was the fact that C.S. Lewis says something that should be known by all those who are Christ followers, and when I look at myself it seems like something so foreign. The fact of the matter is I think we are so focused on making ourselves better, that we accidentally remove Christ from the equation. Currently I am back in training mode for another 1/2 marathon, as well trying to ease into P90X. Those two are a recipe for disaster (at least for me), and it is tough. See I want to get in shape for health reasons, I want to be able to run a sub 3 hr 1/2 marathon, I want to try and extend my life on earth so I can love my family and share the love of Christ with others. So the question is: Why am I doing all this stuff? Well at first it was selfish, and for many others it is selfish. Not for everyone, but all this helps make my point.
If all we are doing is striving for personal goals, financial freedom, better pay, more stuff, faster times, cooler vehicles, bigger houses, more notoriety then we have missed the point. Maybe the reason so many people fail to find real satisfaction is because they look to themselves. They trust their intellect, they trust their accolades.
So how when Paul said, "He of all people had reason to boast, but the only thing worth bosting in was Christ", how can we claim these things as our own.
Back to Lewis; Simply put search for Christ in all that you do, search him and he will be found by you, take your talent, abilities, knowledge, money, and stuff and find him in those things. If you can't, get rid of them, throw them out. When we get to the end the man who dies with the most toys.....JUST DIES. I don't want to be that guy, I want to be the Husband, Father, Son, and Friend that seeks Christ identity in everything I do. I am not perfect nor and I quit where I want to be.
But I will be damned if I am going to let Satan have a field day with my heart anymore. Have a blessed weekend and we will talk again soon.
In Christ,
Brett E Chancey