Birthday Thoughts For The Coming Year

1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

As I sit here on my birthday I find myself examining my life - where Christ has taken me over hte past 12 months, what He has done in my life, how He has changed my heart, and what He has taught me about Himself. And as I do that, this passage is amazingly poignant.

It's been more than a month since I have studied 1 John. I began a Masterlife study and most of my quite time and bible study time has been devoted to Masterlife. But as I ignore that study this evening, God brought me back to 1 John. And now I see why.

My purpose in life is not for me to be content, comfortable or happy. It is not to become knowledgable, successful or wise. It is absolutely to reflect God's glory as I share His love and truth to the world in which I live. Last night I had the pleasure of sitting in Halftime as Canyon taught in Aaron's absence. Shockingly, Canyon taught about evangelism [sarcasm intended]. But he made a point last night that makes all the sense in the world. He said that the main reason that people do not share the gospel with those they come in contact with is because they are more afraid of men than they are of a holy God. It's a simple statement that isn't all that new or revolutionary, but it's incredibly true.

You know, as mortal sinful men, it's easy to want to be comfortable. But in this passage John reminds me that I am not to love this world or anything in it. Thinking back to Masterlife, one of the verses we study in it is John 13:34-35 which says "A new command I give to you: love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." If I look real hard I can see that Jesus didn't tell me to love the things of the world. Again, heavy sarcasm intended. Yet despite that command, I find myself absentmindedly desiring or enjoying the things of this world. Curse this sinful shell of a mortal man that I am saddled with. For when I find myself with that focus, I must realize that the love of the Father is not in me.

But why is that? Why can't Christ's love be present in my heart and life, when my focus is on the world? Because His command is for me to love as He loved. In fact, Jesus tells me that the greatest commandment is to love Him with all of my heart, soul and strength (Matt 22:37). Anything less than that leaves no room for Him. He also commands me to love others as He loved. The way I love as He loved is for me to share the gospel with those who need it. Jesus said Himself that He came into the world to seek and to save that which is lost. If I am to love as He loves, then shouldn't I be doing the same?

I could go on and on with this subject. And the more I go on and on I am convicted. Conviction isn't all that fun. But as I look at where I would like the Lord to take me in the year ahead of me, I look at verse 17 and the promise therein. "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." That's my prayer for the next year. I want to be that man. In whatever happens to me, I want it to be said of me that I am a man doing the will of God. Let there be no doubt.

Awesome Lord, I am nothing but a mortal man, born into sin, mortal in every way. But you are God alone, high above all, holy in every way. And through the cross and the redemptive work upon it I have been reconciled to you and find myself justified by faith. Who am I? I am a child who has been called by his Father, and given a purpose that I may carry out your mission to love this world and share your gospel with it. Father change my focus. Let me not love this world and the things in it, but instead let me love doing your will. Give me a heart that is fully devoted to you and your service. Let me be more afraid of a holy God than I could ever be of anyone or anything in this world. Lord as I commit this moment to you, and Lord willing, this entire year, I pray that I will be found as a faithful man doing the will of God.