Ahoy Mate!

When Brent and I were at the Resort in Punta Cana, I witnessed a living example of a abstract truth that Jesus teaches to us in the Bible. In the 17th chapter of John, Jesus is praying to his Father; for Himself—as He prepares for the crucifixion and for His disciples—that they may know TRUE life;

“ Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

Because Jesus was full of wisdom, He understood that true life was completely bound up in the One True God. He understood that He brought God glory by completing the work His Father gave Him to do. This was all innate for Jesus. He got it.

WE DON’T GET IT.

As I lay in the sun, I watched lots of people who thought they were experiencing TRUE life. These folks were basking in the beautiful Dominican sunshine with drinks in their hands and soft sand at their toes. Beautiful women in bikinis and buff men in speedos dotted the landscape. Music blared, food was abundant, responsibilities were forgotten and life was good. I mean what more could a person want? This is all that life has to offer, isn’t it? The mind-numbing, eye-catching, flesh-satisfying thrum of worldliness had taken them captive…and they were enjoying the ride. Little did they know, the end of that path would lead them not to TRUE LIFE…but to ETERNAL DEATH.

Not only had the siren voices mesmerized them, but I was starting to feel the effects as well. My focus was ME. The world was starting to capture my fancy and my spiritual vision became fuzzy.

It was only after I arrived home and that familiar desperation set in that I realized how close to the quicksand I had been. So, like countless other days, I sat myself down by the fireplace in my polka dotted chair, and I talked with my Father—really talked with Him. And cried to Him. And apologized to Him for my inattention to Him—the Giver of TRUE LIFE.

I realized that I bring no one glory by chasing after my own things—the world’s things. I only achieve “God’s glory” by completing the work God gives me and by doing things His way—not the world’s way. The world cannot give me TRUE LIFE. Lots of people are convinced it can.

IT CAN’T.

We can only receive true, eternal life by knowing the one True God and Jesus Christ, his Son.

We can only bring God glory on earth by completing the work He gives us—by focusing on Him, not us.

This is how we REALLY LIVE.

So many people are drowning. As Christ-followers, We know TRUE LIFE.

We have the LIFE-preserver.

Let’s use it.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17