Saturday, December 17, 2011

The danger within Christianity.

AW Tozer said, "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." If you're a Christian, and you believe in Jesus, chances are you seek to live your life in a way that honors him- telling others about him, giving to those in need, being a good person, etc.

These are great things. The danger lies in the way we relate to God. We can be tempted, in the midst of these great activities, to reduce God to be the means to an end. Whether that end is getting the material things what we want, or achieving our life goals, our lives are about us. We use God to get these things.

Take someone like Mother Teresa. Most of us would agree that she was a phenomenal woman. She lived her life serving the poor and sick around her. Admirable. But even someone as good as Mother Teresa can still using her faith in God to as a means to an end, to give her a sense of purpose for her life. All the good she does becomes about her, and not God.

The difference lies in experiencing God as our treasure. Even if God doesn't give us anything - material possessions, or a ministry to pursue on this earth - he is still available to us, and that's the most amazing thing ever. Do you see him as a means to an end, or as your treasure?

Check out this video from Skye Jethani, where he explains four popular views we have about our relationship to God, and why we might need to rethink our approach.

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