We run our website the way we wished the whole internet worked: we provide high quality original content with no ads. We are funded solely by your direct support. Please consider supporting this project.
Happy vs. Holy
Rebecca Tekautz wrote a reflection on Relevant Online Magazine regarding the stark difference between pursuing happiness versus pursuing holiness. We’ve been conditioned by a consumeristic society to seek our own happiness above all else, and sometimes we fail to see how this collides with our call to pursue the life that Jesus has called us to. Happiness and holiness are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but it matters very much where your priorities and focus lie. And when we talk about pursuing holiness, let’s be clear that we’re talking about pursuing Jesus, not good behavior.
From the article:
I feel a little helpless, sitting back and watching as this adherence to happiness infects the Church like poison. Slowly, and sometimes silently, it seeps into our thoughts, our prayers, our relationships. We are drug addicts, endlessly searching for our latest fix. The moment the effects of our latest hit of happiness have worn off, we are in pursuit of the next. We cannot stop and sit in our pain, disappointment or emptiness.
Happiness is our idol. Why are we not pursuing holiness with the same passion with which we are pursuing happiness? How have we come to allow ourselves to put more trust in a fleeting emotion than in a God who says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … Blessed are the poor in spirit … Blessed are those who mourn”?
Image by Electra Owens. Sourced via Flickr.
Category: General
Tags: Kingdom Living
Related Reading
The Wrong “Bulls-Eye”: Reflections on the “Christian Left”
As it has since the fourth century, the Church today for the most part operates with a Constantinian (“power-over”) paradigm. Because of this, most socially concerned Christians are inclined to define the Church’s mission as adjudicating between and tweaking political options “in Jesus’ name.” We accept Caesar’s definition of “power” as the ability to get…
A Kingdom Not of This World
Bruxy Cavey spoke at Woodland Hills Church back in May as a part of the Tapestry series, and this is a little snippet of his sermon. It’s a wonderful description of the Anabaptist approach to politics. Take a look!
Dancing with the Triune God
What does it mean to live in the presence of God now? How do we do this? What does it mean to be in the presence of God for eternity? In this video produced by The Work of the People, Greg Boyd shares what it means to for us to be in God’s presence and allow…
Does Prayer Really Make a Difference?
I know the traditional cliché that prayer is for our sake, not God’s. It changes us, not God, or God’s plans. Even C .S. Lewis said that! I have the greatest admiration for Lewis, but on this account I think he is dead wrong. Prayer does certainly change us, but that’s not why we’re told…
Sermon Clip: Brain Reign
In this short clip, Greg Boyd discusses the 3 parts to who we are to help understand the brains role. What does role does the mind, body, and spirit play in who we are? In the full sermon we look at the New Testament teaching on reigning over the relational brain. Understanding how God wired…
Speaking of “the Poor”
D. L. Mayfield wrote this guest post on Love is What You Do titled The Language of Poverty. How do we think of and interact with “the poor” on a daily basis? Here’s some good insights should impact our lives as Kingdom people. From the article: Words like “the poor” mean something. They are rich,…