As we celebrate the 4th of July and the freedom that is associated with that day, think of all the people you know who are enslaved by the pursuit of materialism, alcohol, drugs and sexual additions. David Platt in his book, Radical, talks about how Christians have so bought into the American dream that there is very little difference in how they and non-believers place their priorities. Chan points out in Crazy Love that when Christians begin to give up “things” as a sacrifice for enhancing their faith journey, it is often fellow Christians who act the most surprised and judgmental about such action. He talks about the huge discrepancy between the time, talents, and treasure we allocate for ourselves compared with what we allocate for God.
Chan described obsession with Jesus as a good thing. Such persons pick character over comfort. They understand that joy isn’t dependent on circumstances but is a gift from God. Today I took time to mentor a young man new to the Christian faith and I spent time taking a recovering alcoholic and his son fishing. I was blessed twice by the appreciation that I received from those I took time to be with but the ultimate joy came from the choice of serving other in the name of Jesus. While summer is a time to relax and recharge batteries, nothing boosts my joy level more than doing what we do all school year long-SERVING OTHERS IN THE NAME OF CHRIST.
Hope you are finding renewed freedom this 4th of July holiday.