"A normal life is a wasted life."

Picture a husband and wife who are attenting a good church that preaches the Gospel- that provides chances to serve the congregation and community, along with the chance to join a small group and grow in faith. They tithe, they spend time in the Word daily, and they talk to others about God. They read popular Christian books. They have kind children, a great marriage, and dream jobs.

Of this example, Will Walker says, "Does that sound like the life you're planning? If so, you may well be on your way to the Christian good life, which amounts to slapping a Christian label on the same old earth-life pursuits. You don't have to die to yourself, you just have to spiritualize your pursuit of things like importance and comfort and ease. The only problem is that the Christian good life is also not very good.

Jesus said that if we hold on to our idea of life-- in this case, "the good life" or "the Christian good life" -- we will lose it. I think He means that we will end up holding on to a mere idea while real life passes us by. In other words, we will have to pretend that normal life is really what we want in order to think we are doing okay. According to Jesus, the way to discover real life-- a life interactive with God, alive to the reality of His kingdom- is to repent of our desires for a normal life. That is, we need to make better plans and want different things. In Jesus' words exactly: 'Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'

I assume that this is what you really want when you think about it-- a life given to Jesus. I think this is what a lot of people in your shoes want. So, how do authentic, energetic Christian students end up settling for a normal life, Christian or otherwise?"

These are my thoughts:

Are a 'normal life' (in the author's words) and a life honestly surrendered to God mutually exclusive? Maybe no one who truly dies to their own desires ends up with a 'normal life.' I don't think we can judge that though...maybe it all comes down to motives. If I'm pursuing God the best I can, if I've given my life to Jesus, I should not work for material goods or a hefty savings account- I should work for God. So what if I do that and he blesses me financially any way? I give more away, but I do not do so to gain attention or praise from others- I try not to worry what others think about me.

One day a year or two ago, I was talking w/a friend about the verse "It is easier for a camel to pass thru an eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." I remember attempting to stick up for the rich man. I didn't put up a very good fight but I did think I was right. Since, my thoughts have definitely changed. I don't think it's impossible for the rich man, but yes I do think it's very hard. Money and power corrupt, (love of money is the root of all evil, etc). It's so much harder to remain a humble, willing servant who trusts God when you have lots of money.

I'm interested in your opinion, because for some reason I am not getting that a 'normal life' is bad if you have an honest, sincere heart.

[the multiple paragraph quote is an excerpt from the article "Cellular" by Will Walker, page 56 from the CRU2 In Transistion Magazine].