“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?”
Luke 6:46
I am guilty of this. I believe we all are.
It is easy to say that we are Christians and to claim to follow Jesus. What can be hard is actually doing it.
Christ says that acting on His words is like building a house with a foundation that withstands floods, whereas not acting on His words is like building a house without a foundation that collapses.
The words that Christ wants us to act on are difficult. In Luke chapter six, He tells us to take the log out of our eye before addressing the speck in our neighbor’s. He tells us it is a blessing to be poor, hungry, weeping, and hated, while He proclaims woe to those who are rich, full, laughing, and well respected by all. He tells us to turn the other cheek and even to give away our shirt. He tells us to love those who hate us, even those who curse (wish evil on) us, plus we are to pray (desire good) for those who, in King James language, “spitefully use” us.
To me, that is the hardest admonition in scripture. I’ve had people in my life who have desired evil for me. It is HARD to love them. It is HARD to wish for their good, especially to bring that honest desire before God in prayer. But if we are to call Christ Lord, that is the deal.
Self-sacrifice, prioritizing others, and loving even those who wish us harm are the words that we must be our foundation as Christ followers. Only then can we withstand the storms of life.
A Quote to Consider:
“There are two kinds of people in the world. There are philosophers and drug addicts. And, Christianity is the drug of choice for a lot of people.”
–Jack Crabtree
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. I often introduced this quote as a touchstone for class discussions when teaching faith-based classes.
The goal of a philosopher is, or at least should be, the pursuit of truth. The goal of a drug addict is the next high.
How does this relate to spiritual matters?
Let’s look at spiritual maturity through this lens.
The philosopher pursues truth. As a result, His understanding becomes increasingly consonant with reality. He knows and believes what is true. Since God is ultimately Truth, a Christian who is the philosopher archetype gains a progressively deeper understanding of God.
Now, let’s think about the Christian who pursues the next high.
There is nothing wrong with a spiritual high. Hopefully, we have all had them, whether in quiet moments alone with God or in communal worship at a retreat, a youth camp, or corporate worship. Spiritual highs can be invigorating. However, life is not all mountain tops.
When those moments become our focus, we can become addicted to the emotional feeling of the spiritual high. The goal can become to maintain the high for longer and longer, and eventually to be in a perpetual state of spiritual high. But the only way to do that is for us to get better and better at lying to ourselves. If we feel we must maintain the mountaintop experience even in the valley, or heck, even in everyday life, the only way to achieve that is to disconnect from reality, to disconnect from what is true.
Pursuing a spiritual high is not the same as pursuing God. The high is how we, at times, feel in His presence. But it is not truth. It is our subjective experience, not the objective reality of God.
Prayer:
Lord,
Help me not just to call You Lord, but to follow Your words. Teach me to love when it’s hardest, and to seek truth over comfort. May my faith be rooted in obedience.
Amen.
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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