Living Well Series

The Clue to Living Well

February 11, 2024

Last week I told you I had something big to tell you this morning . . . and I do! I’ve wrestled all week with how to present this so I don’t have to say it over and over again and hope you get what I’m saying.

What I’m going to say may not even be as big a deal to you as it is to me, but in the midst of a conversation with a good friend, this theme just jumped out and overwhelmed me. So, my hope is that this will have the same impact on you.

When Zachary asked me back in December ‘why we’re not more serious about the seriousness of God’ I really couldn’t get that thought out of my head.

It’s become a driving question for me, and it may turn into a life long quest, and I hope it is and I hope it will be for you as well. The point to the question is the basis for the series - - -

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT GOD?

It’s a straight forward question. No strings attached. Are you serious about God? And if you are, then you should be different.

If we’re serious about God, then we’ll do things to DEMONSTRATE TO GOD the fact that we’re serious. We should read the Bible, pray, serve, give offerings; and not commit a myriad of sins that are too long to mention. We’re called to do all of this and it’s not easy!

And living this way doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. Live life so I don’t sin. Try to be a good person, which isn’t bad, but I want more than that.

So, what do we do when something’s not easy or we really don’t want to do it . . . we force ourselves to do it. For example - - - -

You’re here this morning, even though you really didn’t want to get out of bed. Or someone made you come. Or quite possibly, you believe you’re supposed to be here, so you’re here, and being here is more out of obligation, than desire.

Maybe going to work is more of a pain than a source of happiness. Maybe it’s the same with school.

Maybe you need to call a family member, but you’re procrastinating, because you anticipatie it’s not going to be a fun call.

In other words, we do lots of things because we feel obligated!

So, think about coming here. When you come because of feeling obligated, it’s more difficult to get your heart, spirit and mind into it. Worshiping God becomes more of a chore than a joy.

Most of us have been there. If we don’t want to do something, we struggle getting excited about it. I don’t want to do things out of obligation.

If I want to do them, I’ll put more of myself into that venture.

Whether it’s work, worship, play, reading, praying, being with family — — whatever it is . . . . . it will be more heartfelt, enjoyable, passion-filled and rewarding.

That’s what I’ve been wrestling with? I haven’t found books that talk about being serious about God, but books that talk around it. The main topic of these books is holiness. And I’ve been wrestling a lot with God about what this means. It comes, in part from 1 Peter 1 - - -

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:13-16

I want to quickly unpack this, and then get very personal.

Verse 13 is really strange in the Greek and has been translated so we can understand it, because if it was in it’s original form, it would state this - - -

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, instead, we have ----

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action

Frankly, I’ve never heard anyone told to gird up the loins of their minds. That makes no sense to us, but to the people of the early church it made sense.

This is what it means - - -

In the Middle East a man’s long outer shirt or cloak went down to his ankles, which prevented him from quick motions and strenuous work. As a result, when needed, they would tuck their shirts into their belts, which girded them for action.