Because...therefore...

In recent months, Bobby and I both read Andrew Farley's book The Naked Gospel.  A book that "rocked our world" and we both recommend.  Farley strips Christianity to it's core and reminds us that with Jesus, you need nothing else.  To this end, I wanted to share the following post written by Todd Gaylord.  His wife Sydney, was a college friend of mine who lost her earthly fight against brain cancer last fall and now lives eternally with her Savior Christ in heaven.  Todd's post reminds us of the simplicity of and freedom found in the Gospel.

***

In a previous blog entry, I referenced a freedom that accompanies tragedy in life. There is a certain peace that comes from standing beyond a catastrophe. I mentioned the freedom I have experienced recently as a result of Sydney's passing. I sat beside a woman on a plane this weekend who recently had a stroke. We were connecting our experiences in trials and she said to me, " I certainly don't sweat the small stuff anymore." This is so true. There is a cleansing that occurs, a renewing of perspective, a grounding, and as I said before, a freedom. When a great fear is realized, fear loses its power.

Reflecting on this idea at a conference this weekend, it occurred to me that a similar freedom is gained when a great need is satisfied. What are our great needs? I have one proposition, but first let's look at life for a moment.

What do you do every day? You work, you take care of kids, you strive to care for yourself and your family. Whatever you do, you want to do it well. You want to be a good man or woman, father or mother, friend, family member, or spouse. This is true in the Christian life as well. Are you going to church? Are you reading your Bible? Are you spending time with God?

There is a lot of pressure. Can you feel it. Why? Because underneath it all is a deeper desire to justify ourselves. I deeply need to prove that I am ok, I am worth something, I am good.

Well suppose I told you that you are working towards something that has already been completed in its entirety.

If God has saved you, he sees you through the lens of a perfect human being. As far as your record, you have lived the entirely of your life in perfect virtue, past, present and future. Period. That is the Gospel. That is the message of the Bible.

Your greatest fear may not be realized (and be thankful that it is not), but here is an equally, or perhaps more powerful perspective giver that you have full access to.

If you get this deeply, you will be so grateful you can hardly stand it. So now you are free. What does this do to you? Well, it should do the same thing I mentioned that tragedy does. It produces freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom to take risk, freedom to love other people.

Either one takes our eyes off of ourselves, or as a speaker this weekend said, "out of our claustrophobic kingdom of one" and onto God and others. What a better way to live life.

So, if you, like me have been working hard in life, and recognize an undercurrent of pressure to preform, let it go. The "If, then" argument is not valid and doesn't work (If I do these things, then I am good, or I will be happy, or life will go well for me). The true argument form is "Because, therefore." Because Jesus lived and died to win me back to God, I am declared perfect. Therefore, I no longer need to prove myself. I am freed and motivated by love.

Take risk. Give your life away. Be about others. Be about good.