...but Christ

"You know I used to be a but Christian..." he said.  "You mean your Christian walk merely consisted of sitting on your butt in a church pew each Sunday?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile .  He laughed.  "Well no, but that may have been the result.  No, I mean I would always pray 'but' prayers, 'God I'll do anything, but don't ask me to sell my house...God I'll go anywhere but don't send me to a 3rd world country.' And so I spoke with some of the guys in church about it because I knew it needed to change.  They told me to stop focusing on trying to give things up and instead focus on falling more in love with Christ.  I guess it worked, our house is on the market and I'm willing to go wherever He leads."

That's the heart of it isn't it?  Being in love with Jesus Christ.  I have a friend who occasionally hits the wall of frustration when he can't motivate his church folks to tangibly engage in the service needs of his community.*  You can only strategize, expose the need and develop creative ways to serve so many times...and then you begin to wonder...why isn't this working?  Where is the spirit of Isaiah declaring 'Here I am, send me?'  My only answer would be to shift the focus...away from the need to serve and toward falling more in love with Christ.**  And His love...will absolutely, unashamedly lead people to service...allowing good works to flow from a changed heart vs. obligation...but make no mistake...good works should come...

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.  
James 2:14-17

I recently helped with a YouthHope girls' retreat, trading the Rock Island city limits for the fresh air at Camp Summit.  As we were sitting around the camp fire that evening, laughing at the silliness of our game time and allowing space for honest conversation and hurts to surface...I assembled my s'more and watched the fire bounce and reflect in their eyes.

The reflection demanded an answer...why isn't someone from the church (any Christian) mentoring each one of these girls?  They need someone to stand alongside them, doing life and modeling good decisions.  Being the Body of Christ...reflecting Jesus.

Maybe they've been bitten by the 'but' syndrome.  I would...but I'm busy, but I'm scared, but I don't know what I'm doing....but....

 ...but Christ.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  2 Corinthians 5:14-17

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*This same individual is simultaneously blown away by other followers of Christ who radically lay down their lives for the sake of others...

**I'm not saying the church shouldn't provide opportunities to serve, teach the Biblical importance of serving, etc. because I believe they absolutely should.  Rather I hope you can see the heart behind the shift of focus which I'm trying to portray.