The base idea for this post came from a sermon that two of Team Swap directors recently heard. A paraphrase of the pastor’s sermon would be - “You walk around sad and mad, I am a child of God and a heir to the throne of heaven. I did not inherit sadness and madness, I inherited joy and peace.” Wow!! Pretty simply, really clear, and a complete lesson in itself. However, we wanted to dig a bit more and look deeper into how most Christians fail to live like heirs to the throne of heaven and also examine what God really has for His children.
How many times do we forget that we are heirs to God’s throne. God has the capacity and the desire to bless us. Living for and with Him should feel us with joy and peace. Yet, we get saved, and we still walk around mad and frustrated. Those are not habits that God gave us, nor are they manifestations of His spirit in our lives. Living a angry and frustrated life is not His plan or will for our lives. God gives us peace, joy, happiness. The rest of the stuff we carry around, you know the stuff that causes anger and pain, results from our fallen / sin nature.
Christians can be some of the angriest and meanest people you ever meet. Sometimes their anger comes from bad treatment within the church, but many times it comes from a general unhappy state in the life of the person. The wondering / frustrated church goer does not have worldly means to drown, and escape their problems temporary. So, they go around reeking havoc in their own lives, and the lives of all of those around them. They may be saved, but they do not understand what Christ has for them. The result of their lack of understanding is a person that is lonely, angry and mad. In the end, their unhappiness is the result of their personal frustration showing itself in their lives.
That type of unhappiness is not what God has for them, or anyone else. What God has for us is a life full of fulfillment , peace, and joy. A large part of these blessings comes from allowing God to show Himself to others through our individual lives. We are called to be lighthouses for those that are lost, and by living angry unfilled lives we are not providing a beacon for others to follow. In Jeremiah 6:16(NIV)a we see the following -
This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
The ancient paths are the tried and true ways of morality, faith and God. These ways are best explained as living a life in accord to God’s standards. By doing this you make your life a beacon for all those around you to see and follow. The reward that God promises us for living this way is rest for our souls, and peace with ourselves.
God does not promise us earthly riches, fame, or success. Nor does God even promise us a worry free life, or removal of all our earthly problems when we accept Him. People looking for a quick spiritual fix from God will receive eternal peace, not earthly absolution. With that said, God does promise to bless us with a life of contentment, joy and peace. That is our true inheritance, not a life of judging others, frustration, anger, indecision, unhappiness and disillusionment.
Today we encouraging you to not be a angry and frustrated person that professes Christ, but be a true heir to the throne of Christ. Not a slave or servant, but a full heir to the peace, joy and happiness God brings us. That is what our inheritance in Christ is, and it is time we all lived up to that standard, instead of down to the lowest acceptable level we can find. Stay strong, be courageous, serve God mightily and be the full heir that God calls you to be.
