More Than a Brick

As he approached the end of his life, Dad resided in an assisted living facility that recognized the passing of each resident with a brick that bore his or her name as well as that person’s death dates. Dad had his own apartment there and enjoyed many amenities. Everyone either knew him or knew of him, partly because he always wore a suit or sports jacket, slacks, and wing-tip dress shoes. But, primarily, they knew him because the love of Jesus poured out of him and upon everyone he met. Dad is more than a brick. He is a man who lived for Jesus.

Now, in our strange world, how do we live for Jesus? Political polarization, opposing worldviews, and overwhelming technologies all stress and drive wedges between fellow believers. We, as the Body of Christ, are as fractured as a car’s windshield after a wreck. What idea, what possession, what tradition is more important than Jesus? To live for Jesus demands faith. Real faith. Durable (enduring, stable, long-lasting) faith. But how do we live for Jesus?

Our Treasure

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

So many of our personal problems come from an organic love for things in the world. We want to be the ones who do the things that will protect and provide for us, often to excess. It’s almost like we think in medieval terms—wanting to build walls around our loved ones, gather treasures to buy protection and provision. We chase after things that entertain us, distract us, and insulate us from the insanity that has overtaken the world in which we grew up. Yet, these very things are the antithesis of faith.

Is our “treasure” in heaven or in the things of this world? This distinction makes all the difference. Have I embraced the idea of delayed gratification? When we attend school, we willingly accept delayed gratification. We invest time and money to learn a trade or earn a degree. During those lectures and labs, we haven’t yet attained our “treasure,” but we pursue it in faith, believing that a reward will follow. We can live for Jesus if our treasure is solely in the presence of God.

Killing gods

When we know our goal, it becomes possible to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” It’s not enough to be able; we must actually do it. In the Bible, this process is called sanctification. It is the process of ridding yourself of false gods and receiving the holy things of God by His Spirit. We have some faith in Jesus, but we also have faith in our education, in our 401K, and in our athletic abilities. These things are good to have, but when we put our faith in them, then they become gods in us. We must kill these gods. That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to eliminate these things; it means we put our faith in Christ, who uses them for His will. We can live for Jesus when our faith is in Jesus alone.

Know Who to Fear

Fear is fundamentally a spiritual matter. Fear is spiritual; therefore, there is strength in the fear of the Lord. When we commit our lives to God, there is nothing in all of the universe that can bring eternal harm to us. Worry? It is cast down. Disasters? They make us stronger. Unfair laws, social attacks, and ungodly demands from employers are all deflected by our one fear.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. – Matthew 10:28

When we have a singular fear, we are set free from all threats. Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” But we don’t fear him because our only fear is of the Lord.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

When we have settled the spiritual matter of fear, we can live for Jesus. As it is written in Ecclesiastes:

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. – Ecclesiastes 12:13

Summary

So, what does it take to live for Jesus? We must have our treasure in heaven. We must accept delayed gratification. We must kill the gods in our lives. We must have only one fear in our lives. When we have one treasure, one hope, one fear, one savior, we are freed to live for Jesus in the love of God. Our joy cannot be taken from us. Our peace cannot be stolen. Our faith cannot be crushed.

We are all on a journey. We have faced many trials, encountered dead ends, and hopefully arrived at a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This adventure continues as we mature in holiness and deepen our personal relationship with Jesus.

If we do these four things—accept Jesus as our Savior, our treasure is in heaven, we kill the gods in our lives, and we have fear of the Lord, we can live for Jesus.