by Rick Warren Take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed
from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately
reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG)
"God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a
mindless clone. "Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are
divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: you will never become
God, or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve
that if they followed his advice, "you shall be as gods." (Genesis 3:5 KJV)This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our
circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will
never be the Creator. God doesn't want you to become a god; he wants you to
become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant
to "take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life
renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God
accurately reproduces his character in you." (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG)God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a
mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it.
Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your
personality. God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes
of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul's great chapter on love, and Peter's
list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life. (Matthew
5:1-12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 1:5-8)Every time you forget that character is one of God's purposes for your life,
you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You'll wonder, "Why is
this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?" One answer is
that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow.
Remember, earth is not heaven!Many Christians misinterpret Jesus' promise of the "abundant life" (John
10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness,
full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through
faith and prayer.In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on
earth.This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to
serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not
your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy,
either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of
reality. Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God's purposes, not
vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he's planned the real
thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and
strengthen our character for heaven.
from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately
reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG)
"God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a
mindless clone. "Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are
divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: you will never become
God, or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve
that if they followed his advice, "you shall be as gods." (Genesis 3:5 KJV)This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our
circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will
never be the Creator. God doesn't want you to become a god; he wants you to
become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant
to "take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life
renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God
accurately reproduces his character in you." (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG)God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a
mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it.
Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your
personality. God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes
of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul's great chapter on love, and Peter's
list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life. (Matthew
5:1-12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 1:5-8)Every time you forget that character is one of God's purposes for your life,
you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You'll wonder, "Why is
this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?" One answer is
that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow.
Remember, earth is not heaven!Many Christians misinterpret Jesus' promise of the "abundant life" (John
10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness,
full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through
faith and prayer.In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on
earth.This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to
serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not
your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy,
either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of
reality. Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God's purposes, not
vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he's planned the real
thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and
strengthen our character for heaven.
via Ping.fm
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