In Luke 9:25, Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” He was saying that you can get everything you want but lose yourself along the way. You can do whatever you want, but you might not like the person you become in the process. More importantly, you’re not the only one who will evaluate how you spend your life. The Bible says that “each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Matt Perman suggests three principles for charting a life course that is both satisfying and meaningful.
Have you ever found yourself in an argument that never seemed to go anywhere? People dig in their heels and end up repeating themselves as they try to convince each other that they’re right. Often when that happens, we need to step back and look at the problem from a different angle. I think that’s the case with the question of whether God chooses to save certain people and not others.
I don’t think we want to compartmentalize our faith, but often we do. We don’t try to be Sunday Christians, but the label sometimes fits. It can be a struggle to connect our faith with the rest of our week. When you’re cleaning up after your kids or facing a deadline at work, does it matter that you’re a Christian? Is there a Christian way to approach architecture, sales, or manufacturing? Should there be something distinctive about a Christian’s shopping, free time, or sleep schedule? I’d like to suggest three biblical principles that can help you take your faith 24/7.
There’s a scene from the old movie, Superman, where Clark Kent’s father says to him: “Son, you’re here for a special reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but I know one thing – it’s not to score touchdowns.” His father’s intent isn’t to knock football, but to challenge his son to live in light of what he’s been created to do. I think Christians can often lose sight of that focus. Somewhere along the line, we get the impression that God’s goal is to just keep us from sinning. As long as we don’t do anything terrible, He’s not too concerned about what we do. But that’s not the Christian message at all.
