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The life we desire vs. The life we live

Posted by: Kaylan Christopher on August 7, 2008   Biblical Values •

In honor of the upcoming Olympics, I had to post a blog that somewhat related. I don’t know about you, but when I hear our national anthem and see our fellow Americans competing, giving it all they’ve got in the sports they’ve trained years for, I get a little mushy inside.

It’s also sad that I tend to only feel this kind of patriotic pride when the Fourth of July rolls around, at a hometown high school football game, or when the Olympics come every four years. Every other time, I tend to complain and analyze the problems that exist and continue to grow inside the “walls” of our great nation—especially as it relates to believers.

This has got me to thinking about what we perceive is happening and what is really happening in the hearts of believers today. It’s interesting that as I’ve been pondering this, the Barna Research Group recently came out with a report detailing what Christians—depending on the type—want most in this life.

The reality they found is that evangelical Christians, those who have committed to a personal relationship with Jesus and hold theology and doctrine that aligns directly with the Bible, were the “only group among the dozen Christian segments among which at least 90% listed as many as 6 of the 19 future-life possibilities as being ‘very desirable.’”

The things they embrace? Good health, having a close, personal relationship with God, having a clear purpose in life, living with integrity, having one spouse for life, being committed to their faith, being active in church, and making a difference in the world.

So with all of this, where’s the point of disconnect among the congregants in our churches between desiring these things and actually living a life that displays these things in action as the Bible directs? Why is it hard for us to live out and actually believe the truths we’re being taught?

Being patriotic and all this week, I think this is something to consider in light of our upcoming election. Is there a point of disconnect for you from the time you grasp biblical truth—whether it be in church, your home, or somewhere else—to the point you step out into the real world and live? If so, how can you begin to change your way of thinking right now?

If you do, your whole life will change.

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