Thank God for a day's quiet pursuit of glory.
* * * * *
IF I FOUND OUT THAT GOD DID NOT EXIST
What would be my response?
Of course, this is something that will never happen, because He most surely does exist.
But for the sake of discussion, let's just say that if, one day, I found out that God didn't exist, I would be devastated. Are you kidding me? All my hope and purpose is in Him. If He didn't exist, it would all be in vain. I would've wasted my life on something non-existent. I've lost everything I've committed my life to.
But then it would be hard to put a meaning on words like "wasted" or "value" by then. What is relative value? There is no such thing, is there?
This is a question I consider useful for the Christian's self-examination. Can you live without God? How much do you lose if you find out He doesn't exist?
If you think that you could still move on from that, then can you honestly say that your ultimate commitment is God? How deeply rooted are you in Him? Can you say that by losing Him, you lose yourself too?
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
(1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
* * * * *
AMBITION OF A CHRISTIAN
I perceive that many Christian teenagers separate their faith from their preference of work. There seems to be a lack of understanding that all (true) knowledge is dependent upon God.
How can one truly understand science, but by the Word of God? How does one understand aesthetics? How does one understand history?
And what about psychology, language, philosophy, politics, economics, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, etc.? Which of these is Christ not supreme over? Isn't all of creation supposed to glorify God?
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
(Psalm 19:1-2)
And yet we don't choose the work that we expect to be doing for the rest of our lives on the basis of what God's Word has to say about it. Don't we understand that as children of light, we're supposed to bring the Word of God with us as we step into an area of work?
Are we so shallow that we consider what we want to work as based on interests that we can't really relate to God's glory? Be warned; if your interest in something is not, at the same time, an enjoyment of God's glory, then it is most likely sin. I don't think I have found any exceptions.
When we view the subject that we study in the way that God views it, you will find its true purpose. And your work will be fruitful because you're guided by the infallible Word of God.
Search the Scriptures to truly understand your work, and be not deceived by secular interpretations of it.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
* * * * *
THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON
I've been reading the Bible commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians today. A few words found at the beginning of the fourth chapter of Galatians struck me like it never did before. I was truly touched.
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
(Galatians 4:6)
I knew before this that it was speaking of the Holy Spirit, but perhaps I was still quite unable to replace the impersonal impression of Him in my mind.
This passage purged me of this.
The verse says it such a way that you can understand that a Christian's cry for the Father is just like Christ's. Because here the Holy Spirit is called "the Spirit of his Son". It's as if we have the very person of Christ within us, crying out to God through our mouths. And I must say, we have nothing inferior, because the Holy Spirit shares all the attributes of Christ.
It is a very comforting thing to know. Because if you're convinced that you have the Holy Spirit working within you, you can be sure that God hears your cries as much as He hears the cries of His only begotten Son. We do not have to rely on how sincere we are, but upon the assurance that we have the Holy Spirit.
* * * * *
VIDEO GAMES
Most people probably think that I'm not tempted by these anymore.
Truth be told, I still am. I've played DotA a few times, secretly, several weeks ago.
And right before I wrote this, I walked downstairs to the computer from my bedroom, planning to have another game of DotA.
Of course, I had to have a cover up. I opened the internet browser and set tabs on Facebook, Blogger, and Biblegateway (terrible, I know). I wanted to edit this particular post just before I went on the game, but then I saw the things that I wrote, what I wrote about committing my life wholly to God.
You see, I am a hypocrite. I don't deny it, because I can't.
And the perhaps the posts that I write might make me seem like I'm some kind of saintly boy who thinks about these stuff and contemplates on God's glory all the time. But truth be told, this makes up the minority of my thoughts. That's why I put Bible verses in every post. I'm not authoritative.
But in times like this, I wish, so very much, that I could be the facade that I put on, that my life is actually wholly committed to obeying Him.
Reading my own blog post caused the struggle within me to be even greater. Then I was reminded of the times when I committed a particular sin for the umpteenth time, when I would strike my forehead with my hand in extreme frustration, and think that I would never do it again. I remember that feeling. And I knew that the hopes of that frustrated Joshua in the past were in my hands. The choice was mine.
I turned the game off. No big deal, I know. But for a weakling like me, it is. I've had a history of game addiction, and thus the draw is even more powerful.
I remembered the command to cut off that which tempts you. I deleted it. I know I wouldn't ask it from anyone either, since I'm outwardly a staunch advocate of anti-gaming.
And then I started writing this, to dispel the lies.
What is it about video games that draw me? Well, there's that point I've thought about before, which is that I am drawn to the gaming world because God isn't there. He does not control my destiny. I control my destiny. I can become powerful all on my own.
But then there's the excuse that it's just for leisure, when I'm too tired for other (serious) stuff. But that's just ridiculous. If it's just something of that nature, how can it exert such an incredible pull on me? It's just a leisurely activity, man, you can live without it!
There's almost no need to argue any further, the conclusion that I play DotA out of sinful desires is final. For years, there has been absolutely no exception.
Still, I remember something else, something about self identity. I've never really analyzed the desire everybody has to find "who they are". But I'm sure that this is related to my gaming, since I find myself searching for the in-game character that most resembles my personality. Is it because I want to feel special? Is it that I want to stand out from the crowd? Why so?
The only possible answer in my head is because, like Lucifer right before he fell, I want to be God. I want to be special, to be rare, supposedly so that I have more value, more glory. This is likely a twisted imitation of God's unique, intrinsically glorious, uncreated existence.
So perhaps I delve into games because that's the only place I can express this evil desire. In the real world, I believe in God and that everything I have comes from Him, but in the gaming world, temporarily, I don't have to believe that. I pave my own way. I create who I am.
This concludes my most disorganized post so far. I'm going to sleep.
Thank God for this, whatever it may come to mean for me.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
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