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Christ Within ME the hope of glory!
I visited the Warehouse church in Sacremento for a family event. I was disoriented by the message from the pulpit at first. He was saying some great things, but a lot of the appeal was emotional, reactionary, folksy and simple-minded to me. Some of his statements weren't supportable. This was very jarring until I realized that I was hearing preaching, honest to goodness preaching! I had been confused because I have never gone to a church where they didn't teach. Listening to teaching and listening to preaching are very different activities. Once I realized that he wasn't trying to impart a good mental model, or feed my mind with ordered, logical reasoning, or even train my mind; it became much easier, enjoyable and encouraging. When I realized he was trying to hearten me, encourage me, motivate me to follow hard after God, I could listen with gusto.
I was encouraged to think of my wants, wishes desires... even my ambition, my vision, my plans... all of it as submitted to Christ. Not asking "what would Jesus do?" (which isn't a bad question); but "What would Jesus have ME do?"
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Gal 2:20 NASB
That preacher made me remember that I'm not living my life anymore. I'm living Jesus's life. I'm living the life of Christ expressed through me. So when I'm formulating my ambition for the coming years, I don't ask myself, "What kind of life do I want to live? Where do I want to end up? What kind of career, family, community, church do I want to produce in my life?" Instead I need to ask, "What kind of life does Christ in Me want to live? Where does Christ in Me want to end up? What kind of career, family, community, church does Christ in Me want to produce in my life?"
I know it might not sound that profound in a blog like this, but Christ in Me was cheering the preacher on last Sunday. 'Cause I actually think it will be a better life to live. It's Christ in Me the hope of glory!
