Forsaken

The past couple of weeks have been a blur, to say the least.  However, I've had this thought brewing in my mind the whole time.  It started one morning (I think) while I was driving to school: "What does it look like to completely forsake the world?"

I think what shocked me most about the line of thinking that followed was that I wasn't even thinking "spiritual" thoughts when it came to me.  Literally, driving down the road, it just popped in my head - out of the blue, you might say.  After the initial shock of such a thought I began to try to wrap my head around this idea.  What does it look like to forsake the world?  It's an uncomfortable conversation for me to have with myself because there are so many things in this world that I love, so many things that I devote myself to doing, so many things that I give time and effort and money and attention and...and...and...you get my drift?

For me, thinking about forsaking the world means giving up a lot of things.  It means my passions become different.  It means my priorities change.

It certainly didn't help the process when our pastor spoke at Wednesday night service.  He referenced this verse:

"For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation."  Galatians 6:15

You see, his point was the same that I'd been pondering for more than a week.  It's the same point that Paul is making in his letter to the church in Galatia.  It's the same point that we all as Christ followers should be asking ourselves on a daily basis - when all is said and done, is your life being made every day into a new creation in Christ?  Are the things that you pursue of this world or of Christ?  Or are you trying to compromise and do both - pursue the world and Christ?

You can see why Wednesday was so effective in my heart.  It served to confirm these thoughts that have been floating around in my head, it helped to solidify things and make them more clear.


Our church calls Wednesday night service 'Renewal', and for me it was that and so much more.  For me it was confirmation of the calling on my life.  It was affirming and encouraging to be reminded of what God's been doing in my heart and where He's been molding different areas of my life to change me more into His image.


And it was also convicting as I began to think about the things that I pursue in life that are not what I should be pursuing.  In my own life, it's books, movies, approval and a host of other things.  What is it in your life?  Football?  Maintaining an image?  Clothes?  Popularity?  Being religious?  Regardless of what your pursuits are, the question is not what are you and I pursuing.  The question is what are we doing to change the things that we pursue in life?  What are we doing to seek more after Christ?  What are we doing to forsake the world?


This question's been on my mind ever since our pastor asked it Wednesday night.  He said he wanted to haunt us with this question, and I'd say he did a good job of it (at least with me):

"What is your life marked by?"