the gate

Matt Chandler wrote recently about his inspirations. It got me thinking about how the choices we make and how we spend our time really affect us. Here’s a little of what Matt says.

Several years ago I started applying this line of thought to my relationship with Christ.  Instead of asking myself what inspired me to be a good man (what’s that anyway?) I started asking what stirs my affections for Christ. What, when I’m doing it, when I’m around it or dwelling on it creates in me a greater hunger for, passion for and worship of Christ and His mission? The first list was a strange one. It looked something like this:

1. Early mornings and hot coffee
2. The writings of John Owen (at the time it was The Mortification of Sin)
3. Listening to Lauren sing
4. Walks through graveyards (I know this is weird but it reminded me of mortality)
5. The book of Hebrews
6. Robust dialogue on ecclesiology or missiology
7. Sermons by John Piper
8. Angst-filled music

I also wrestled with and paid attention to what robbed me of affection for Christ. What, when I was doing it or spending time around it created in me an unhealthy love for this world? The first list was a strange one because the majority of things that robbed me of zeal for Christ and His mission were morally neutral things. It looked something like this:

1. Watching too much TV and spending too much time online
2. Staying up late for no reason
3. Following sports too closely
4. Being physically lazy
5. Empty conversations (talking for hours about nothing)
6. Idleness

For the last few years I have updated this list often. In fact it has changed quite a bit. I want to pay attention to life. I want to be keyed in to what feeds my zeal for our great God and King and what kills that zeal. My hope is that I could flood my life with Christ-exalting, worship-creating things and avoid anything that would rob me of that.

I’ve observed across the years that most of us tend to want to blame someone else or something outside of ourselves for the current spiritual state of our lives. You know what I’m talking about — “I’m not growing because of my church;” “I’m not on fire for Jesus because of my circumstances;” “I’m under too much stress at work;” etc. But I think Matt is on to something. Most of us make daily choices that either stir our affections for Jesus, or rob us of affection for Christ. We choose to focus on all kinds of things, except Jesus. We spend most of our time each day doing the kinds of things that distract us from Jesus.

We have no one else to blame but ourselves.

So here’s my recommendation — make a list like Matt did; then choose to spend as much time as you can doing those things that stir your affections for Jesus. It will mean giving up some things that rob your affection for Jesus. That’s where the rub comes. Most of us don’t want to give up those things that rob our affection for Jesus. Most of us want to keep listening to talk radio, and watching TV, and going shopping, or whatever . . . too much. But let’s at least be honest. Don’t blame someone else for the fact that you’re spiritually lukewarm when you choose to keep doing those things that rob you of your affection for Jesus.

Just ask yourself how your activities affect you. That’s all I’m saying.