No this is not about how to rile an old rock group.
It occurs to me time and again that accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the priority of His Kingdom does not fit well with any prevailing way of living. Even in settled Christian communities there’s somewhat of a tendency to adopt a manner and hold on to it despite it being just a part of who Jesus is. Such is the hold that it’s much more than a stronghold – it’s a stranglehold stifling the life out of people who need to realise there is more to Jesus than what their tradition puts forward.
The real danger of settling for the status quo is missing out on who Jesus is. Missing out on how His Kingdom come and will done on earth as it is in heaven makes a massive difference to how we relate with each other. Elements of the status quo are about retaining power and keeping control. Kingdom living promotes giving up control to God and letting Him rule completely. Seeing how the power He expresses in the earth is not selfish, but a generous giving love enabling, encouraging, equipping others to express themselves in purity for the benefit of others.
That writ large in community would have to affect consumerism. It would have to unsettle capitalism. It would, by definition, destabilise other concepts that some can hold onto too tightly.
As growing brings about change, so knowing who Jesus is day be day and stage by stage brings about change in how we operate, what our view determines and more. It will necessarily lead us to places where we realise the way we have done things, is not always the way things should be done. As new people come along and as time changes, so there’s a relaxed hold on how we do what we do, but there is a passionate grip on who we’re doing it for.
Our focus on Him, our focus on where He leads us, without us being contentious or abrasive will bring us into challenging the status quo. That can be uncomfortable, but the alternative is to be party to a way of life that leads to death.
The joy in obediently following Jesus in these ways and knowing His presence is with us makes the difference.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 