Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger — according to the way you react to it." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Have you ever been in a life situation where life "couldn't be going better", where everything is going swimmingly, or at least so you think? Let me ask you something. At such a time, how was your relationship with Christ?
There was a period in my life where I was "successful" by every measure the world has. I was making piles of money, had a pretty girlfriend, and lots of friends. And how was my relationship with Christ? It was probably the time in my life where I was the lowest spiritually.
We all want to live the "good life", yet there is a serious danger in too much goodness. When everything is going well, we tend not to "pick up our crosses daily"; we tend to become arrogant and / or lethargic about spiritual matters. As Zig Ziglar said, "Success makes failures out of too many people."
I am not saying revel in misery. Yes, continue to try and live the good life. Never, ever forget, however, that the success of every endeavor is from the Lord and that if life is good, it will only stay good as long as we react properly -- with thanksgiving to a God who gives us good gifts.
All is a gift from Him...
Have you ever been in a life situation where life "couldn't be going better", where everything is going swimmingly, or at least so you think? Let me ask you something. At such a time, how was your relationship with Christ?
There was a period in my life where I was "successful" by every measure the world has. I was making piles of money, had a pretty girlfriend, and lots of friends. And how was my relationship with Christ? It was probably the time in my life where I was the lowest spiritually.
We all want to live the "good life", yet there is a serious danger in too much goodness. When everything is going well, we tend not to "pick up our crosses daily"; we tend to become arrogant and / or lethargic about spiritual matters. As Zig Ziglar said, "Success makes failures out of too many people."
I am not saying revel in misery. Yes, continue to try and live the good life. Never, ever forget, however, that the success of every endeavor is from the Lord and that if life is good, it will only stay good as long as we react properly -- with thanksgiving to a God who gives us good gifts.
All is a gift from Him...
Be careful not to mix structure and direction. "Good" is structural. God created all things to be good, good and very good. From there all things have direction either away from God (falleness) or toward God (redemption). Good and evil are not opposites. Evil is a distortion of good which is why it is so easy to fall in the trap of success no matter what the variety.
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