Sterling Leadership - Obedience
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to becoming a Christ follower is believing that we have to miss out on the good life. People see God as a killjoy who wants to take the good life from us rather than give it. And His followers, people you wouldn't want to follow across the street, no less to the ends of the earth. Yes, hypocrisy in the church is obviously a huge issue as well as people see celebrity followers, legalists, angry people, uninterested in the best interests of others, but more than interested in worldly gain. Both of those issues were a problem for me for sure, and honestly, they still are.
The truth is the dolce vita is in Christ. And true Christians are the nicest, most loving, other-centered people on the planet. When you taste that rich fellowship of the family of God and experience those people, you not only want to be like them, but you relish their company.
My personal testimony is that I was good and sick of myself when I accepted Christ. I left home at 14 to chase a hockey dream. And by 19, I well knew I was a sinner and that what the world offered gave no satisfaction. People let us down. Life is hard. And the offer of a God that knew me, a sinner, yet loved me, blew my mind and broke my heart. And it does today.
I think if we went around the table at any wedding (or funeral, for that matter), reception table, or around the room in a retirement home honest people would tell you that what they really wanted in life was love, friendship, wise choices, satisfaction of a job well done, protection and blessing for their families, security, health, and enough food for the day.
This morning, Kari and I were talking about all of our friends who are not Christians and who seem to do just fine. They are good people and we love them dearly. But they have not trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So, serious question, my friends, is there any real benefit of being a child of God? Does Almighty God really love us? How can we know that God has an unflinching commitment to His children? Does He have our best interests at heart? And how can we encourage each other and non-believers to become disciples of Christ and follow His ways?
I’ll give it a shot, but I want to know your answer. Call me. Or write me. If I were to attempt to convince a young version of myself to be a Christian, I’d start by acknowledging the counterintuitive truth of sterling leadership. It is this: if we want to lead, if we want to be the best hockey player, pilot, lawyer, or businessman, if we want joy, satisfaction, and purpose, we will not find it in worldly pursuits and achievements. No dollar amount, experience, trip, trophy, or triumph will produce it. It’s the truth. We are broken. In fact, sinners. We need healing, new life, salvation. We need Jesus. It is the Cross of Christ alone that saves us. It’s true. We must accept Jesus; it’s an offer God gives to every person ever born. We can accept Him or reject Him. The choice is ours. But through obedience to God, repentance of our sin, and acceptance of Jesus, we find new life, real life, true satisfaction, divine grace, and purpose. God's good plan and purposes for us are not just for today, but for eternity. And, oh, God is a planner alright! The Master Planner. He's a planner of feasts and festivities, banquets, and balls.
So, are there any benefits of being a Child of God? Oh my. Many. Truly. I’ll do a short list, and then let’s get on with our day. Here are some of what the Father gives His children:
- God grants wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
- God grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
- God shields those who walk with integrity.
- God guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him.
- God shows us the right path to take.
- God fills us with joy, true joy.
- God gives us the satisfaction of a job well done and the fruit of wise choices.
- God gives us understanding that keeps us and our families safe.
- God keeps us from evil people and shows us how to discern frauds and false teachers (He hates them even more than we do!)
- God gives us good men and women to teach us, work alongside us, show us a godly example, and to be our dear friends. (Proverbs 1).
None of the benefits of being a child of God are from our own understanding, wisdom, will, or strength. Instead, all good things are from right relationship and obedience to the King of Kings. Our reputations are well earned because our fear is well placed. Our health, wealth, and everything we have and produce and hold dear are because of what God plans and orchestrates, prunes, and creatively connects. The Father loves us so much that He calls us His friends and His dear children. We are part of the sacred family of God. That is the truth. That is the good life. Nothing else comes close.
Dear Father, please help us to be habitually obedient to You. Help us to know how much You love us. We know You want the best for us because we've seen it. We trust You. Help us to be good examples and good communicators so that we can share Your love well with others. Amen.
Kari and I at my High School grad (Wilcox, SK, June 1989). We had no idea how good and loving our God would be to us.
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