fusion

I have been preparing for youth group tonight but I stopped at something that I think Christians miss on a daily basis at many levels…

At Fusion, we’ve been in a series going back to the very basics of spirituality. Tonight, we talk about others. The Bible teaches that we are to love God first and foremost, and love others second… How does this play out in your life? How does this play out in my life? Sometimes, absolutely, it does… Others, not so much.

What would the world look like if we actually loved and served others before ourselves? Let’s go simpler than that even. How would the world see Christians? How would the world see Christianity? How would the world see Christ Himself if we loved and served others before ourselves?

I talked almost a year ago in Fusion about some of the simple, subtle tricks that the enemy will use to make us ineffective Christians. Those that I have had deep conversations with recently, forgive me. You’re going to hear it again… The tricks that the enemy uses are so subtle that often times, they’ll be disguised as spiritual health. Don’t get me wrong, the following symptom does not make us failures as Christians. We may in fact be in a great place spiritually. This trick acts like a parasite and feeds on our spiritual strength. We can get so blinded by our own spiritual growth and relationship with God that we forget to go out and share that with others. The Bible calls us salt. You have to shake the shaker to get the salt out. The Bible also calls us light. You have to turn the lamp on in a dark room to see light. If we do not do these things, that parasitical trick, slowly drains our effectiveness, and in turn, our spiritual health.

I think it’s safe to say that Jesus was at a pretty decent place, spiritually. I always found it very interesting that Jesus never walked up to someone and said, “I see you stumbling and grabbing around and assume that you’re blind… I can help you with that.” Nor did He add the stipulation that if they believe in Him, only then would He heal them. No! When the sick approached Jesus, even if it was obvious, He asked, how can I help you? Jesus met their need… Then He said, “Go, and sin no more.” We live a backward gospel.

Logan and Jack have a cartoon video where a caterpillar is stuck in the mud. All these other bugs come and try to fix a problem but ignore the need, to get out of the mud. How do we miss this lesson that is apparently so simple that it’s in a cartoon for children?

What does this have to do with the simple trick of the enemy to make us ineffective? Glad you asked… If you are speaking Christ and the Bible at people, does that meet their need… or yours? I know that ultimately their need is the salvation that can only come from Christ. When we meet their need and show them that love, isn’t that the most accurate picture of who Jesus really is?