Frustration

Sunday, I attended church and the interim pastor decided to give me a good ulcer with his particular illustration of "Sweet Spot Living." He gave some good scripture references and even told the infamous tale of William Wilberforce. He told of how Wilberforce alienated himself and nearly ended up on his deathbed for his devout efforts to abolish the slave trade in England.

However, directly following the surreal labors of a truly self-sacrificing man, the preacher proceeds with a video of a local church member. It told of how she worked a dead end job for many years and was eventually let go. She was devastated and desperate. She was even desperately afraid, of ending up in another dead end job. She took a risk and opened her own business. Her business is now very successful.

The End

When the camera fade set in, acknowledging a conclusion, I was astonished. I think my mouth may have even dropped open.


Where was God in all of that? How does that story at all depict what it means to have found true life and unfettered joy in Jesus Christ? The only time her story really mentioned God’s involvement was that she initially didn’t think God would let her do something that made her happy, and confessed that she didn’t give Him enough credit.


One, how on earth do you follow the noble story of William Wilberforce, with a person’s self-gratifying ambition to open their own business? Secondly, how do use such an illustration to describe finding “Sweet Spot Living,” especially if we’re speaking in a Christian context? There was no mention of her relationship with God, or how she used this blessing of success to better serve God and ultimately there was zero mention of her involvement in advancing the Kingdom of God.


Now, I’m not saying she is not doing any of these things, because there is a very good chance that she is and I will of course give her the benefit of the doubt, because lets be real, who among us is really doing ALL we can to serve God?


My bone to pick is not with her, but with the Church staff that sat around a boardroom and brainstormed this idea. I get all worked up just thinking about the implications made and the message it sent to the congregation – life isn’t about suffering for the name of Jesus and the winning of lost souls, it’s about finding a job/career/hobby/thing to fill your time, that makes you happy; life is about Y-O-U. I cannot begin to describe the sorrow that fills my soul to hear such heresy in a Church generation that already so seldom teaches the Great Commission.


Let us consult the authority on this subject. Jesus said,

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15: 7 & 8

If you claim to live in the grace of Calvary, then life is lived as Christ commands – the bearing of fruit at the expense of self. As ironic and irrational as faith motivated sacrifice seems to the secular realm, the contradiction that is personified by the nature of an omniscient God transfers to the life of His beloved: in that we may be miserable, destitute dregs of society, but there is also joy, pure abundant joy, in life lived for THE calling. “…follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19; Mark 1:17)






Till. ALL. Have. Heard.