It struck me earlier today that my prayer, expressed at the end of my last post of 2015, has been answered... And how!! I couldn't, in my wildest dreams, have imagined how the first half of this year would turn out. Talk about God being generous. The year didn't start well - the first fortnight was torrid to say the least; but since then, things in my life have been 'on the up and up’ - three posts this year demonstrate that - My Rocky Road, God is Love and Revolution & Resolution. Which, I think, segues fairly neatly into a post about abundance...
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10b
These thoughts are far from fully formed. They stem from a feeling which began to take hold of me during our autumn of 'Pause and Pray' or 'Be Still...'. We Christians can be far too fixated on working - either from a false sense that we have to 'earn' our salvation, or that we 'need' to put all our energies into obeying the 'Great Commission':
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
And so we become enslaved, and the following scripture becomes a sort of 'sick joke' for many of us:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
The stressed, too-busy, Christian, trying to excel at a full-time career, whilst also fulfilling the 'strictures' of what the evangelical church tells us is the only way we will experience God's presence with us (see the verses from Matthew 28 above) is probably not presenting Christianity in a good light... It makes our faith look horribly like just another demand on our time and energy; another thing to add into an already overly busy lifestyle.
We also seem to major on our sinfulness, and our guilt, and to spend a lot of time feeling bad about things we've done wrong (or thought, or failed to do) - and often, falsely, for things we have already confessed and turned away from (repented, in 'Christian speak'). Yes, the bible does say
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:22-23
But it goes straight on to say
…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24
So we don't need to feel guilty all the time; unworthy and undeserving of any joy.
That guilty ‘enslavement’ cannot, I believe, be what the founder of the church had in mind - see the first quotation. To me that first quotation speaks of comfort, and friendship, and love, and good food - life lived ‘to the full’, with time to relax and enjoy, and time simply to ‘be'. That is very much at odds with being 'too busy', or of battling through a life wracked by (false) guilt over sin committed, confessed and repented. One might imagine over-stressed executives flocking to a religion not only promising, but actually providing, rest for the soul. What an attractive thing it would be to model.
So, eat well and enjoy the delicious food; jump in puddles; be silly; go for walks in beautiful places; share hugs with loved ones; be kind; be funny; drink good wine; be truly thankful for the blessings in your life.
If this smacks of hedonism, remember that Jesus enjoyed himself - He ate good food with friends, went to weddings (and provided good wine when it ran out!), strolled through the fields picking and eating ears of corn (on the Sabbath!) in the sunshine with his friends; told funny stories (with a point to them, but funny just the same). It isn't wrong to enjoy life...
We Christians often have a 'hair shirt' mentality, which perhaps stems from a feeling that we aren't worthy... And in ourselves, we aren't worthy, but we are saved by grace, and are being transformed into co-heirs with Christ; prodigals returned to a Father who wants to throw a huge party to celebrate:
“The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' “But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:21-24
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Romans 8:15-16
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
We do have to be careful; careful not to fall into sin. We should beware of greed and gluttony; lust and covetousness. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying life - indeed that first quotation, which bears repeating, states Gods's intention in coming to earth.
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10b
God made good things - the constant refrain of God in the story of Genesis is that He saw that what He had made was good. And He expected Adam and Eve to enjoy the garden in which they lived - that is clear from reading Genesis chapter 2 - it was a place of beauty and abundance, and of the presence of God. Mankind sinned, and was banished from the garden, and creation was marred by that. But, by Christ's death on the cross, man's relationship to God is restored and we are free, once more, to enjoy God and His creation, guilt-free - simply by acknowledging the free gift of Salvation, wrought by Christ's 'one, perfect, sacrifice for sin'.
God bless you.