- We have only a few years to live out our adventures. We want to experience all the fun possible.
- We pursue friendships.
- We pursue good jobs and money.
- We pursue good food and pleasure.
- We pursue extreme sports and life on the edge.
- Finally, we come to the end of ourselves and give our life to Jesus.
- We think the fun is over, but everything we tried did not turn out as we hoped.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him (ESV, John 12:24-26).
Suggestions for Walking With God
Genesis 2:4-25 is a poem with chiasmus, with an important concept inserted near the end.
A – God observed the chaotic state of the world (vv. 4-6).
B – God made man (vv. 7-8).
C – God created an abundant, verdant environment (vv. 9-24).
D – God gave man work to do (v. 15).
E – God gave instructions and explained consequences (vv. 16-17).
D – God watched the man work (vv.18-19).
C – God discovered that something is lacking in creation (v. 20).
B – God created a woman (vv. 21-22).
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
A – All of creation is in harmony (vv. 23-25).
Right near the end of this magnificent poetic creation story is a verse that doesn’t really fit the flow of the story. There were no children yet, but one line speaks about children.
Children eventually leave the authority of their parents to enter into a mature personal relationship with God.
How do we walk and mature in God on this earth?
Level 1. Start with yourself
Your goal, according to Jesus’ first sermon in Matthew 5-7, is to learn to live an untriggered life. This means we are to learn to control our anger, pride, need to be right, etc. We do not have control over the responses of others, but we can learn to control our responses. We can grow in spiritual maturity. When people around us act in ways that do not make sense or are painful we learn how to respond as spiritually bigger people, with humility, generosity, nonjudgment, and a desire to help others grow in God if they are ready. We learn how to follow the Holy Spirit along the narrow trail with slippery slopes past the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so we can rest under the Tree of Life.
Level 2. Your Nuclear Family
Our second level of influence and our personalized training center is our immediate family. Our children and those who live with us are our disciples who watch how we go through life, how we interact with the world, and how the world interacts with us.
Level 3. Your Extended Family
Many (most?) extended families have people who are cut off. Families always include crazy uncles or dysfunctional people. Others likely think we are those people, but we remain family. These are our people! We were all created in the image of God. Everything people do make sense to them at the time. Family members have connections with each other that far exceed connections with strangers. Cut-off only works if everyone agrees that “We don’t talk to each other.” But if only one side agrees, the others may respect that for a while but still send an occasional birthday gift or a short non-emotionally-charged email about a good memory together. Things change. People change. Surprising results come from sincere prayer and a lifelong quest to mature as people who walk with God, no matter what the cost.
Level 4. Your Church Family, Friends, Neighbors, Strangers, People at Work and School…
We continually practice how powerfully and consistently we can exude the fruit of the Spirit with people who think differently than we do.
We spend time in the secret place with God each morning, in that place where Jesus is King.
We leave the garden after our morning time with God to expand His Kingdom in a chaotic world, leaving pockets of peace and well-being in our wake with the mantra “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23a).
Your thoughts?
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