"It's not about you."
Which of these two statements best represents your own personal belief system? The first statement can be applied to almost everything that Western Culture embraces. It's all about my wants, my desires, my comfort, my way, my stuff, the list is almost endless.
The second statement is the opening line to Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life." From the opening lines of this book the gauntlet is thrown down regarding the conflict between culture and the Bible.
But what does the Bible say about which belief system we should choose?
"Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!" (1 Corinthians 6: 12-14 - The Message)
Christ did not set us free so that we can do whatever we want to do; Christ set us free so that we would do whatever God wanted us to do. Paul’s message does not proclaim individual or communal license. He is explaining that if we are not careful we will exchange our freedom for the chains of the enemy. "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." (Proverbs 14:12 NLV)
Paul notes one trap of focusing too much on our own freedom. What we start to do freely (because we want to, like to, or just because we can) can become our master. As the Eagles’ song goes, “These things that are pleasin' you - Can hurt you somehow” (from “Desperado”).
Okay, one more line from that song seems so applicable to our topic today,
"Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get . . ."
Isn't that exactly what we do when we embrace what we want versus what God has in store for us?
As Bob Dylan so skillfully wrote, "But you're gonna have to serve somebody . . . Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."
Not sure how I got off on this trend of quoting famous rock songs . . .
Paul reminds us again in this same chapter of the cost that Jesus paid for our freedom, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (6:19-20). In another words, "Who you gonna serve?"
Let's examine one more time the ramifications of our choice, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
So I ask you again which of these two philosophies best represents your life?
"It's all about me."
"Nothing is about me."
I'm going to close with some lyrics written by one of my daughter's favorite artists, because that's what I've been doing throughout this entire blog . . .
"We all lookin' for the answers
We're all in search of living water
Too blind to see the Messiah
Are you weary? Are you tired?
Runnin' on empty, feelin' the fire
Mm, the Devil is a liar
The story's already written
Children, you are forgiven (Yeah)
Ain't nothin' you could do for you to change that
And everythin' you did, He erased that
Yeah, He took it all and threw it in the wasteland
[Chorus]
Freedom, don't it feel good?
(Words and Music by: Justin Bieber & BEAM)
