How To Waste Your Life Before 30 – Part 1
Throughout the week I will be posting a list of ways to waste your life before 30. I use this in my discipleship program in various ways.
You will waste your life before 30 if…
If you do not believe that God created you for the sole purpose of glorifying him by declaring the supremacy of his son in every aspect of your life.
We were created for the glory of God. This is what it means when he says, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). God created us to know him and make him known (Matthew 28:19-20). To glorify someone is to reflect their image. In the same way that a mirror is the reflection of your image we are the reflection of God’s image (although tainted because of sin, Genesis 3). We are to be the spitting image of God and therefore we are to behave and act like him (1 Peter 1:15).
Therefore we are to take seriously his command in Luke 9:22-23 to deny ourselves and take up our cross if we want to follow him. Self denial is a critical part of what it means to be a Christian and is therefore an essential element if we are to imitate God.
If you long for the things of this world more than heaven.
I like the parable that Jesus tells about the man who was having a dinner and sent his slave hand out invitations. Each person had a “reason” for why they could not attend. One man had just recently bought some oxen and needed to go take care of them. Another had purchased land that needed some tending to. The last guy was a newlywed and wanted to spend time with her. These may seem like legitimate excuses from an earthly perspective but remember that Jesus is telling a parable which makes a greater spiritual point.
The man hosting the dinner is God. The people invited are you and me. But the people did not have time because they were distracted by the money (oxen), possessions (land), and romance (marriage). Isn’t it interesting how these three things get more attention and emotional energy from us than the things of God?
You will waste your life if you spend more time trying to find someone to occupy the other half of your bed rather than finding someone to occupy heaven. You will waste your life if you are more concerned with securing your financial future rather than trying to secure your future rewards in heaven. And you will certainly waste your life if are more interested in gifts from the Father rather than the Father himself. I suppose the question boils down to this, “Do you want a Father or a vending machine?”
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/ / CC BY 2.0
Robert
I love theology and the challenge of making deep teachings non-boring. Let's face it, most of the time we hear theological teaching, it really is boring. Does it really have to be that way? Nope.
