Peripatetics: The Art of Walking
Friday, August 19, 2005
Yesterday I left off with the admonition Paul gave us in 1 Corinthians...that we're amabassadors for Christ. He uses another phrase to describe them, "living letters." The idea is that we're representing Christ, making following Him attractive as we "out-live" the world. I also pointed out my observations that we, as a tribe, generally fail to do that...and thereby make Christ unattractive.
So, how do we make it more attractive?
Like Charles did for me.
See, I grew up in a very formal church environment where Christian growth was measured in things like attendance or service, and even then only on one day a week. When I attended a different church (largely because of the youth leaders) I immediately began to feel uncomfortable. These people had their own language, it seemed like. They did strange things, like sing together. They gave away their money. They didn't do a whole long list of stuff I liked to do. It was a tough time for me because I really loved Christ of the Bible and was having trouble adjusting to my new church surroundings.
It wasn't long before I was off to college. Since I'd had most of my high school Bible study group going to the same school, at the encouragement of our youth pastor, we started praying for somebody to sort of take over our discipleship.
Enter Charles.
He sorta showed up in our lives. He met one of the guys in my high school study at the college campus, strolling across it. He tried to evangelize Scotty. Scotty was already saved, and then Charles mentioned that he was looking to disciple some guys as he had some time. Scotty said that he had a bunch of guys looking for a leader. Answer to prayer! We didn't even do a background check.
Charles was one of the biggest dorks in the history of ever. He even graduated from a college that was one of our football rivals...and he had the strangest job ever. Just meet college kids and disciple them.
But over time, Charles really grew on our group. He hung out with us. For all four years of our college experience. The good times. The bad times. The stressful times. The "Hey, I'm just going to play basketball at the student center, wanna come?" days. The once a week meetings for lunch, just to talk about Christ and our walk. The weekly Bible studies (which he put up with us calling it "Chuck's B.S." because we thought it was so funny, but he thought was horrible) he led us through for three years...most of it in Romans.
So, how did he out live us?
I'll never forget it. I had sinned. Big time. And in public, too. I was sorry on about 100 different levels...least of which was affecting my "witness" to my fraternity brothers (who, by the way, thought all of this was funny)...but I was really wrecked about it. Needless to say, my lunches with Chuck were always on Monday, so he was getting the story first-hand.
He was the living embodiment of Galatians 6: 1--10 (from The Message):
"Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the owrk you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
Be very sure now, you who have trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.
Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness ignoring the needs of others--ignoring God!--harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
So, let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every tie we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."
Yep. That's what Chuck did.
He reminded me not to get tired of doing good.
He reminded me that I'd still have some consequences of my actions. You do reap what you sow.
He shared with me things from his experience and maturity.
He trusted the Holy Spirit would do the growth work in my life, and didn't try to manage my behavior or use guilt as a motivation.
He was doing the work God gave him to do in a creative way. He sunk himself into it.
He saved his critical comments for himself.
He forgave me.
He restored me.
He shared my burden.
He completed Christ's law...by loving me.
He out-lived the world.
And that's what we need to be about.
So, for today, who are the "Chucks" in your life? How do they "out-live" the world? And be SPECIFIC...and how can WE out-live the world?
Brent 4:25 AM
Comments:
i dont know if it's more important that there are "chuck's" in our lives or more important and fightening that there aren't...
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