Would it be…the lifestyle of the rich and famous—the broken and down
trodden—the jealous and envious? Or maybe you have a lifestyle of work to you
drop, sickness versus health, or is it trying to keep up with the Jones’?
All over the world you will find people spending most of their waking hours striving or working for a particular
lifestyle. But America is pretty bad in how it tries to sell us a bill of goods as to what type of lifestyle we are entitled too. Even if that translates into being up to
your eyeballs in debt. Debt that consist of student loans (you may never live to
pay off), or being so cash poor because of an outlandish mortgage, car note and
designer clothing and accessories on maxed out credit cards.
In my 62 years, I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t want their version of a good lifestyle, (whatever that might be).
My mother came from a family of 10 kids and they were poor! All of them worked hard and strived to have a better lifestyle not only for themselves but for their children as well. So it seems that for years, each new generation (for the most part) did better than then their parents, except this current one today.
My mother came from a family of 10 kids and they were poor! All of them worked hard and strived to have a better lifestyle not only for themselves but for their children as well. So it seems that for years, each new generation (for the most part) did better than then their parents, except this current one today.
I recently read an article on how today’s generation is the
first in America to not be doing as well or better as their parents were when
they were the same age. For one, it didn’t cost an arm, leg and kidney and in
some cases your soul to attend college. And if the average college grad owed
$2,000.00 dollars in student loans, that was considered a lot of money. But it
was doable to pay back. Today, young people are so bogged down in steep debt, that they are unable to buy houses, new cars or in many cases even live on
their own.
Their troubles began when they bought into (or were pushed
into) striving for a lifestyle more conducive to the “rich and famous” or at
least something close to that.
People work hard to have nice things and live in a nice
place, and they have no problem sacrificing time with family and friends to get them. But
most of all we seem to also have no problem sacrificing time with God. This is
one of the biggest downfalls of the Believer.
Here's an excerpt from Gloria Copeland's book “To Know Him”...“Of course, even after you make Jesus the Lord of
your life, it takes more than a few causal contacts with God to learn how to be
an overcomer. It takes a lifestyle
of communing with Him and spending time with Him. If we truly want to see what God can do, we
can’t be content to run to Him only in the hard times or when we’re in
desperate need. We can’t be satisfied
just to work Him into our schedules when it’s convenient. We must build our schedules around our time
with Him. We must seek God in prayer and the Word every single day—when things
are hard and when they’re easy, in good times and in bad.” (Great book by the way!)
There goes that word again, lifestyle. The definition
for lifestyle is very simple and straight forward…the way a person lives—period! Therefore, as a Believer, and child of
the One true King….what should our fill in the blank say?
Lifestyle of the Believer! Lifestyle of the Healed!
Lifestyle of the Forgiven! Lifestyle of the Loved! Lifestyle of the Blessed!
Lifestyle of the one who loves Jesus! Lifestyle of the meek and humble! I could easily fill up a page of what we
have the right to say and live because of who we are—but! That’s right, but!
But, too many of us don’t know what God given rights we are entitled to because we don’t have
(or see the need for) a lifestyle built around communing with God.
We are quick to run to God when we get a bad report from the doctor—lose our jobs—husbands walk out—children act up. And it doesn't seem to phase us that we've been remiss in developing a lifestyle of walking in love,
forgiveness and building up our faith for the bad times.
The truth is, most of us will never be “rich and famous” well, not according
to the world’s standards that is. And
that should be okay, because we have the propensity to be rich as
part of the Kingdom of God! And I’m not talking about in our afterlife, but
right here, right now!
You see, rich in the Kingdom has nothing to do with money.
In fact, money is the lowest rung on the ladder of prosperity. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and
be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2 (NKJV)
It is better to be poor financially and your soul prosper, versus be rich and lose your soul? Click (Matthew 16:26)
It is better to be poor financially and your soul prosper, versus be rich and lose your soul? Click (Matthew 16:26)
When we read the Good Book, it is loaded
from the beginning to the end, about what prosperity (or riches) looks like for those who serve God. Of course it looks nothing like what the world has to say it is,
but one must spend time, and desire to cultivate a lifestyle of Kingdom living to know all that it offers.
We are already famous—our Father knows the
numbers of hairs on our head, at any given day or hour—the beginning of our
lives and the ending of our lives. Can we get any more famous than that?!
Seeking a lifestyle built around time
with God is the only lifestyle worth pursuing! And I say that because, God
(Creator of everything) knows what is best for us and He has all the answers. Time with Him will lead you to a lifestyle you never dreamed—and I'm not talking materialistically either!
If someone handed you a slip of paper and asked
you to fill in the blank to “Lifestyle of the _____?” asking what lifestyle you
live or are pursuing, would your answer be one that truly serves God? Or would it be one that
serves manna or your own soul? Be honest in your answer to yourself. It is the only way for change.
Sisters, it’s time to get real with ourselves and
God. Because you wouldn’t want to be one of the foolish virgins who gets caught
without oil when the Bridegroom comes—now would you? Click (Matthew
25:1-13)
Until next week...
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