Saturday, February 24, 2007

The Life You’ve Always Wanted


I grew up in the Detroit, Michigan auto economy. When times were tough for car makers, things seemed tough for everyone. Though we never went hungry, there was no question that times were often pretty tough. Even as a child I could see the evidence of this hard reality. In highschool I was exposed to kids that were better off than we were. My parents made great sacrifices to send me to private Christian schools from start to finish. They couldn’t really afford it to be honest, and that meant that I was going to school with some kids whose parents really could afford the cost. Sadly, I started seeing the bits and pieces of the life I wanted. I know there were bunches of kids in my boat, but I felt like I was the only one who didn’t have his own car, wore jeans without the right label, and couldn’t get around to all the right places at all the right times. I made my way by being popular and influential even without all the “stuff.” But even popularity was pretty empty to me. It seemed I was never satisfied and always wanted more of what the other guy had. Many of us have grown up and still live our lives today looking at the stuff that we think will give us the life we’ve always wanted. We wish we had the right house, the right car, the right job, the right spouse, the right kids, to make us feel happy and fulfilled. We want power and influence. We want, want, want. How will we ever have the life we’ve always wanted?
To be honest, we are usually dissatisfied with all the “stuff” we surround ourselves with. We are sometimes surprised to find that the life we’ve always wanted is really more about the quality of our lives on the inside. It’s the heart and soul, the unseen self that is really only satisfied when it is filled with the grace and goodness of God at work in our lives. One of the very best moments in my whole life was when I heard my wife say, “I’ve finally got the marriage I’ve always wanted.” I knew it wasn’t about the wealth I had brought into our home. It wasn’t a gift that I bought or any special sweetness shown. I wasn’t even me that she was satisfied with. Our marriage had changed because we began spending weekly time with two other couples for the purpose of building our marriage on the foundation of God’s Word. We held eachother accountable for the kind of marriage God wanted us to have. We found out that it was the kind of marriage that we wanted too. God’s Word sheds light on the life we’ve always wanted in our homes, in our churches, in our world. He shows us how the impact of His love and grace makes life the best it can possibly be.
I’m very excited to be preaching during the season of Lent about spiritual disciplines for ordinary people that promote and help us realize the life we’ve always wanted. The message series will be based on the book by John Ortberg by the same title. We will explore the following topics… Meditation on God’s Word, slowing the pace of life and celebrating, prayer and confession, servanthood, a well-ordered heart, and spiritual endurance. As we go to God’s Word for the direction He wants to give us in these areas, we will find ourselves challenged and blessed with an awesome life, to praise and glory of God!

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