I am currently reading "Real-time Connections: Linking Your Job with God's Global Work" by Bob Roberts Jr as part of the group blogging project at BibleDude.net. I'm nearing the end of chapter one (and wanting desperately to keep up the the bloggers this week but know I will fail!), and I came across this wonderful paragraph that I just had to share:
"In the contemporary Western church we tend to think that discipleship produces a nice, neat, doctrinally sound, perfectly balanced way of life. Jesus offers us an improvement on our already good life. But early followers of Jesus weren't looking at the decision to follow Jesus in terms of life improvement - for them Jesus was life itself. Following him meant more than adding something new tyo their existing identity; it involved the death of the old life and a resurrection into a completely new identity. It was an invitation that anyone could respond to, even the rejects of society."
Chapter one is titled "Rethinking the Great Commission" and talks about how the Great Commission actually began in Genesis 12:1-4 with God speaking to, the then named, Abram. This book is proving to be quite powerful in that it's changing my perspective on what MY role in the Great Commission is, even from where I stand now. I particularly like this paragraph as it speaks of the hope that the disciples had in Jesus, with Him being life itself, and how we too can hold onto that promise even in this busy day and age that we live in.
A lot of what I am reading this week, both in this book and online, is helping to change my perspective on how I am actually supposed to live my life as a Christian. My focus has always been on me, what I'm doing, what's happening at work, and so on. My focus is now shifting to how I can serve in the Kingdom. Yes, I still need to tend to my daily needs, and those of my daughter and those close to me, but my number one focus is to be on Jesus. He is to be my life itself!
If you do get a chance to follow the Bible Dude's group blogging project, please do, as your viewpoint will be changed. If you also get a chance to grab a copy of the book, please do as well. It's brilliant reading and really does give a global aspect to Christianity in the world.
good Paula... very good :)
ReplyDeletesounds like a great book. xo
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on this, Paula. I loved hearing what God is doing in you through this book and group. I think I'll look up all of this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Paula. Sometimes in life we need our cages rattled and busted loose so we can be freed from our confines. We need a new point of view to steer us from a life living in a rut. Thank You Jesus!
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