Overcomplicated?

Today I had a conversation with someone I respect immensely. I always enjoy our conversations because he has interesting perspective and insight on just about everything it seems. Anyway, today he said something that has gotten me thinking. He said, our focus in living a life for the advancement of God's kingdom can really be narrowed down to 2 things: 1) reaching the lost, 2) helping those who are reached find their place in the body of Christ. He observed, and I would agree, that we seem to really overcomplicate things and make it so hard. It's really not. If we would run everything we do through this test, we could quickly weed out the complications: is what I'm doing working to reach and save the lost? or is it helping someone who has received Jesus find their way to that sweet spot where God has designed them to be?

The Bible tells us that we have been created with a specific purpose in mind, and that God, long ago, prepared good things for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) - For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago) So this has got me thinking a bit - examining and evaluating my own life and actions. How much of what I do is lending itself to these two basic elements of God's work - reaching the lost and helping each other live in the midst of what we have been created for? We can only carry out the fullest portion of God's plan for our lives when we are living in alignment with His plan and purpose for us. Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that it is God's intention for us to function as a united body, not as individuals. So, we are most likely to succeed when we work together toward a common goal, helping each other along the way.

Look at this same passage of Scripture in another version of the Bible:

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
(Ephesians 2:7-10, The Message)

Again, I come back to the idea that we've been apathetic for far to long. I really believe that if we are not living in the midst of this place that God has designed for us, we cannot be happy. I think that probably has a lot to do with why there are so many unhappy, unfulfilled, lukewarm (and on and on) Christians. I think it's a lot of the reason why people fall away from the church. They feel like they've tried the church thing, and there was nothing there for them. But going to church is not the same as living for God, and letting Him lead and guide the steps of our lives. It's not the same as living in the midst of God's purpose. That's awesome!

So many of us are takers when it comes to our church experience. We go to get something- to get a blessing, to get a lesson, to get a good feeling. When that's our mindset, we're only living out half of the equation, and, by the nature of things, we are out of balance and incomplete. We have been designed in God's likeness, and God is a giver. We are designed to be givers. We are to give of ourselves, our hearts, our energy, our love, our resources, our time, and all that God has given to us. We aren't meant to receive from God so that we can hoard it all up. What we receive from Him is intended to pass through us and onto someone else, and on to someone else from them, and so on, like a river flows. A body of water that's not flowing becomes stale and stagnate. So does a Christian whose not giving, whose not reaching, whose not helping and loving.

I believe with all that is in me that it all comes down to what motivates us. What is our driving force? It is my sincere prayer that every person who calls themselves a Christian, and who has made themselves open and available to God will be moved to a place in their hearts where they are motivated by eternal things much more than they are by earthly things. To be driven by the same things that drive God - to know His heart and be moved by it. When His priorities are ours, we will inherently find ourselves focused on reaching the lost and helping those who are saved live out the purpose for which they have been created.

God does not complicate matters. Why do we?