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It’s not often that I read fiction.  However, I purchased a book last Spring called, “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young.  I started this book around Thanksgiving time and I’m just now finishing it–But that’s not the point!  There’s a quote in this book that I continue to think about.  The quote below is by the Jesus character in the book:

“Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy.  Being my follower is not trying to ‘be like Jesus,’ it means for your independence to be killed.  I came to give you life, real life, my life.  We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do.”  (pg. 149)

The more I submit myself as a follower of Jesus, the more I’m realizing that Jesus is less interested in us living like Him–He desires to re-live His life through us.  Maybe instead of asking the question, “What Would Jesus Do,” we should ask ourselves if we’ve surrendered ourselves to the One who created the moon and the stars and give Him the freedom to manifest Himself inside us.  I don’t think Jesus ever wanted an army of posers who act like Him–I think we were designed to live in Him and Him in us as one body, His body.

[step off soap box]

What are your thoughts?

“Yes, we know the Word and a have a genuine desire to share the gospel with them (students).  But we haven’t taken the time to know them and their changing culture.  When it becomes obvious they aren’t responding to our efforts, we lament the fact they have turned a deaf ear to church.  But is that really the case? I don’t think so.  More often than not, their ambivalence to the church is rooted in the fact they can’t hear anything we’re saying.  Because we haven’t taken the time to know them and their world, they don’t hear or understand any of it.  They’re not deaf–we’re dumb.  In the end, we’ve done an ‘injustice to people whom Christ loves and for whom he died.’”

Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture by Walt Mueller

Wow!  If this isn’t a challenging quote–I don’t know what is.  This quote has inspired me to take my “calling” more serious and become a better cross-cultural missionary to students.  I admit it…I’ve been so focused on things like getting my series planned out for the rest of the year or organizing “this and that,” that I’ve forgotten them.  I see students, I talk to students, I listen to them…but it’s all in the context of our church walls or student ministry events.  I haven’t been in THEIR world lately.  Have you been in the world of the people you are “called” to lately?

Something I’ve been struggling with lately is…me pressuring myself into feeling like I have to be the “savior” of everything and everybody.  The quote below is something I just wrote in an email as a reminder to myself of who God is and who’s I am.  Thought I’d share it with you–I hope it’s a good reminder for you too.

“He’s already the Savior of mankind and the One who creates out of nothing and I am His.”

“Most of all, we must not live as if God’s mission is somehow contingent upon our plans and strategies.  God remains on the throne and continues his redemptive work with or without our frantic sense of urgency.”

Serving with Eyes Wide Open
David A. Livermore

I read this quote in Collide Magazine.

“The church has a responsibility to be innovators, not duplicators.”