the point

Over the last few days I have found myself thinking, "What's the point?"...now hear my tone in that. it's not a defeated fatalistic kind of thing but rather a "seriously God...I want to know what the point is, and to make sure I don't miss it." And I realize I have posted similar thoughts to what I really feel I need to post here but this morning it overtook me in a way that doesn't happen very often. Most of us are dealing with this question regardless of our belief system, or if we work in ministry full time, or if we sit in an office all day marketing widgets. But seriously...ask yourself what is the point. Life, work, relationships, faith, love, all of it.

The disciples and even Paul once they realized that jesus was the messiah and that their lives, purposes, beliefs, futures were forever changed went out and talked about the Jesus they knew. They went to various communities (some of them stayed close to home and some of them traveled to the ends of the earth) and they said, "Hey! You guys...here in Corinth or Ephesus, or Jerusalem, or wherever. Here is how you maximize the person you were created as. Here is how you bring purpose to your life. Here is the point of this whole thing. It's Christ. End of story. The point is that Christ is #1 in all circumstances and in him you live free and forgiven and eternally. Now do it. Put him first in your life and watch the change that takes place. Live free, forgiven, powerful radical lives and you will change the world". They didn't tell them the types of programs to start or how to mobilize people or what ministries to promote or what desk jobs they should and shouldn't have. That wasn't the point. it was that Christ is LIFE CHANGING. Meeting Christ and really "getting it" knocks you off your horse, blinds you and realigns your path in RADICAL ways.

The point is that in living a life so radically changed and dramatically different that the people in your circle/community (wherever that may be) can't help but notice...and that the only answer you could give them would be Jesus. I feel like I (and you may agree in your life) am substituting good deeds and programs and plans for this radically changed life. The radicalness (i know that isn't a word but you get it) of our lives isn't so much a "go crazy! throw yourself off a cliff. stand on the street corners and rant and rave. move to zimbabwe and "convert" the natives". The radicalness is that you are so monstrously loving, kind, compassionate, forgiving, holy, Christ-honoring, righteous, humble (and so many other things that are pure human nature is INCAPABLE of without Christ doing it for us) that we would blow people's minds with it. That our lives would be so counter-cultural (in a character way...not a wow, that guy is a crazy religious freak way) that people would stop and say "how in the world could someone really be like that".

I am not living a life of radically changed heart, character, desire...so instead I substitute and believe that doing enough good things, or "christian" things will make up for it. But I can do the most amazing "christian" stuff in the world and if my life doesn't reflect Christ then it's WORTHLESS. I have not been knocked off my horse, blinded, and refocused on the singular goal of bringing glory to my God. And I know this, so I try to make up for it in other ways. People look at WHAT I DO and think it's great or that I must love God or have faith, but I would so much rather people look at WHO I AM and think those things.

I want my heart and character to be transformed by Christ into the image of Christ so that if I am in Slovakia, or Africa, or in a cube pushing papers around, or sitting at the dinner table with my parents that something about me is OBVIOUS and BEAUTIFUL in the same way that Jesus was. And that when people ask "why" I am the way I am, my answer is sincere and it points in the only direction that matters.