I am writing the first chapter of my doctoral project. My struggle from lack of focus is hard to fully explain. Nevertheless, I press on. This past week was a critical week in my schedule for writing. I failed to calculate one huge disruption, Spring Break.
Writing was constantly interrupted by the thought of my friends’ fun. I loathed the thought that I might miss a moment. So, I followed my friends and went on a Facebook vacation. The excitement was unbelievable. I found myself anticipating the next adventure, anxious over the next thrill ride, eager for the next culinary indulgence and ready to laugh at that next ‘one-in-a-million kodak moment’. I grew exhausted at moments from their activity on my Facebook vacation, even requesting them to slow down in the comments.
I had a blast on my Spring Break Facebook vacation. I felt like I was with my friends all week. I’m so excited about all we experienced together, the fun we had and the memories we shared. This is great, except for one thing. I wasn’t there! While I am happy my Facebook vacation cost me nothing, I only have one lingering thought for myself, HOW PATHETIC!
Let’s get real friend, Facebook is a horrible substitute for real life. If we don’t like what we see, we scroll on. If bad happens, we hide that news feed. IF TOO MUCH bad continually occurs, we de-friend because ‘I just don’t have time for that much hate in my life’. But how often we choose to live our Christian life through a Facebook reality, culling for only that which we like, feeding off someone else’s updates and entering into a reality we conjure up by lingering on their posts and pictures.
The problem: real life has no “hide / de-friend” option. When Facebook goes down, real life goes on.
When John records Jesus’ words “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, ESV), he declares that eternal life in Jesus Christ is beyond this world, but wholly adequate FOR and applicable IN this world. So, the question remains ‘what does the Christian life look like?’
“Real Life, seven traits of godly wisdom from the book of James” begins this week at LifePointOzark. The aim of the Christian life is not intellectual adherence or emotional experience, but faithful obedience, holiness in life, godly living. James teaches how Christians live fully in God’s truth through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. James shows what real life looks like when the Gospel of Jesus Christ captivates our affections and transforms our thinking to affect our behavior.
Faith that fails to find its fullest expression in faithful obedience through godly living is feeble at best and likely false. The Christian life is not sense-less living nor is it senses-driven. The Christian life is grounded in Godly wisdom from salvation to application. The Gospel affects our every existence, from the core of our being to the minutiae of our actions, emotions and attitudes. Following Jesus means learning to live in godly wisdom rather than worldliness.
Tremper Longmann explains the value of wisdom literature when he says “The purpose of wisdom literature is to give us principles for living and to shape our minds so we might be sensible in the application of those principles.” James is like wisdom literature of the New Testament, helping us practically live out what God has eternally accomplished for us in Jesus Christ. Godly Wisdom is greater than wordliness.
I hope and pray you will join LifePointOzark for this study in James. Bring a friend and enemy with you as we consider practical principles for faithful obedience through seven traits of godly living. God wants to bring great glory through your life as He works great transformation in you.
BTW, we’ll be in Gulf Shores, AL, later this year. Happy to have you Facebook join us!