If I may add my own 'Humble Musings'...

Last night I dropped in at Amy’s Humble Musings and read this:

“It is impossible to live a Biblical life while being captives to the consumer culture. It’s that easy– once you consider that Christians are called to be slaves to only one Master. It’s about being thoughtful, aware, and deliberate about our decisions. It’s about thinking through the consequences of our everyday choices. It’s about choosing how to live life, instead of just allowing “them” to tell you how to do it or just doing it because that is what we do. It is about fulfilling your purpose to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

I quote that because it’s exactly how I feel and yet could never be that articulate. (Thank you, Amy, for saying it! Do go check out Amy’s Humble Musings, but not yet, okay?)

My husband went to a meeting at our church last night. The meeting was called by some of the younger (by younger I mean 20-somethings) married couples (some with children, some without) and some singles. They wanted a platform in which to share their issues so they invited the deacons and elders to hear them out. Many topics were discussed, but my husband came home and said that the bottom line is that this younger generation desires relationship with the “older” generation, with the larger church. The young women recognize their need for mentorship from the older women, the men are hungry for discipleship from the older men. They want connection, community, relationship, and fellowship.

And it struck me that there are too many people in our church who will not extend the invitation for this kind of relationship. Do you know why? Because we are simply too busy. After all, there are TV shows, soccer games, baseball practices, school meetings, homework, movies, … and the list goes on. Our culture, or- more accurately, the enemy- is sucking us in so that we are too concerned with the STUFF of life and less concerned about the things of God, and about what He has called us to do.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

I am ashamed to say that about a year and a half ago, I was also being suckered. I remember our small group trying to figure out a time to meet and I said (and I’m embarrassed to share this, truly) Thursday night wasn’t even an option (because it was our ‘Survivor night’ and I couldn’t miss ‘my show’.) What a travesty- that we are missing out on the richness of the things of God because we are too busy trying to keep up with the culture, and meanwhile we are getting caught in the trappings of it. (I don’t watch TV anymore. And I don’t miss it. About a year ago I knew God was asking me to give it up (and I simply didn’t want to), and yet more than wanting to go my own way, I want to obey my God, and so I gave it up. And I cannot tell you what a blessing this has been in my life. It has freed me up to pursue the things in life that are most important to me. I see so clearly now that what seemed so harmless to me a couple of years ago (watching all my shows) was such a distraction in my life from a deeper pursuit of God.)

Our culture applauds individualism, self-sufficiency, and independency. We are encouraged to love ourselves. Jesus says “Love one another.” The early church was not about self-sufficiency, it was about community. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had… There were no needy persons among them.” (Acts 5:32, 34).

That is my heart: I want to pattern my life according to the Word, not the world. I want the time that I have here on this earth to be spent glorifying my God. I want the choices I make (and that we make, as a family) to please God, not others. If we're busy, I want us to be busy serving God and loving His church. I want to challenge all that we do and the decisions we make and continually re-align ourselves to God’s Word and His commands. I want to be “his very own, eager to do what is good”.