3 Important Life Themes

When you ask people what it means to be like Christ, they will probably point out His spiritual fruit and character. To be like Christ is to be loving, to be generous, to be patient, to be prayerful, to be kind, and we can add a hundred more desirable traits of Christ. How do we get to that point? When we choose to follow God we also sign up to experience His life in total. Becoming like Christ requires a few life themes to be evident in our journey. When these life themes unfold, we find ourselves becoming more like the Lord.

Theme 1: Suffering without losing faith

Whether it be in our physical bodies or in our emotional state, we will suffer at times. We will be persecuted, we will be discouraged, and we may experience great loss or pain. This is what we've signed up for. The Christian life is not about avoiding suffering but embracing the sufferings of Christ that mold us into His image. Throughout these times of suffering, we are encouraged to increase in our faith, boldness, and trust. Blessings will come, but we can't avoid Godly suffering. Suffering is always there but we don't have to fear it.

Theme 2: Sacrificing for the greater good

We all know that Christ made many sacrifices and ultimately gave up His life for us. Your life will also involve many decisions that will require you to sacrifice your "wants" for the fulfillment of God's desires. Time, pleasure, money, and certain freedoms will be put on the line when you follow the narrow path. For instance, I would love to find a job in San Diego where I can enjoy the beach, go wave-running, and enjoy the sun. Delaware is not a bad place, but c'mon it's no San Diego! Even though I'd love to explore other opportunities, my place is in Delaware for this season. I could also find a job close to home that pays more but it may require more of my time...time that I should use to develop myself, other people, and ministries. Sacrifice and self centered living are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Once we begin living a life of sacrifice, we then need to learn to be settled...

Theme 3: Settling into the Father's plan

Notice I did not write settling for the Father's plan. Settling for the Father's plan would imply that the Father's plan isn't "all that". Settling for would mean there is something better out there that we should be doing. It would mean we're missing out. In reality, we're missing out on a ton of things, but there is no possible way to experience and acquire everything we want. God has an ability to fashion our lives in such a manner that we experience and acquire those things that create an overall life of contentment. We may not get to have everything, but we have everything we need. We may not experience everything, but we experience life the way it should be. God doesn't have to modify His plans to make them better. We need to renew our minds to view His plans as being better. Don't fight His plan. Settle into it.

Are you suffering, sacrificing, and learning to settle into the Father's plan? If so, be encouraged because you are becoming Christ-like. Welcome to Christianity.


Pop the Culture,

B.A.P