Where's the #Joy in that?

Being a follower of Jesus Christ is a wonderful and beautiful way of being and living. Matthew (my 25 year old son) just left my office - he is one member of my family avoiding this blog like the plague. Why? Because living for Jesus in a real sense is NOT living for "ME" in a material sense. The Christ focused Christian life is a "tough sell" for the Church in the egocentric "me'istic" culture of 21C urban Canada. Jesus' message is something many of us would rather not hear - after all - there are so many more palatable ideologies and philosophies out there. Thankfully our role as Christ followers is not to convince people or "sell" the Gospel - we are called to witness - then God uses true witness to draw His people to Himself.

In these early days of Lent the Bible has pointed us toward a mindset. Our minds interpret the information our senses gather - a Christ focused mind raises our "sense of life" above the storms of life in this world broken by sin and gives the Christian a glimpse of the infinite. Our context is shaped by Jesus. A life seeking Christ reads the letter Paul wrote to Christians at Philippi (from a prison cell) differently; a person seeking Christ feels the joy, mercy, love and hope which saturates this prison letter. Paul says he "can do everything through Christ who gives [him] strength." How does that make sense coming from a man chained in a prison cell? Facing his imminent execution Paul writes that the word of God cannot be chained. He says he will endure anything to teach the salvation of Jesus and give all glory to God. Paul's words are nonsense outside of a life given joyfully over to Jesus:

               If we die with him,
                       we will also live with him.
              If we endure hardship,
                       we will reign with him.

Sometimes I think we imagine life was simple in the first century Church - people were just good and they went to church. But humans have not changed that much. There was turmoil, scandal, false teaching, convenient theology, control freaks, prosperity gospel teachers ... all the junk that messes us up today. Paul over and over and over again encourages us to hold on to the Gospel as we have received it and bear honest witness of Christ. That is our role in God's mission here, today among us.

So today we hear the Words of God written by the hand of a man chained in a Roman prison:

Philippians 3 
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Our Father in heaven. You are God above all and your work is wonderful and awesome to us. So many of us turn away from You. Help us as we seek to know You. As we grow in You, from the very moment we give our yes to You, shape our minds according to Your Truth. Form us into good and true witnesses of Your desire and Love for each of Your children. We pray this in Jesus mighty name according the promise and power of God the Holy Spirit. Amen.