Why Isn't My Christian Life More Dynamic?

By: Howard Vanderwell

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

February 7th, 2010

Opening Let me begin by telling you about the time a fellow came to my office. We had set up an appointment to talk. When he entered I could see that he had a very frustrated look on his face and I knew something was bothering him. I had known him for a good many years, and I knew him as a very upbeat guy, a very committed Christian fellow, a very loyal church member. It didn’t take very long before he put his question on the table. “Pastor,” he said, “I have to tell you I am very frustrated and very bothered. All my life I’ve considered myself to be a Christian. I’ve been faithful, loyal, and I think I’ve been a good member of the church. But…(he hesitated)…I just wonder… why isn’t my Christian life more dynamic?” He had driven right down to the heart of what was bothering him. He went on and spoke of other people who always seem to be upbeat, filled with courage and joy, they walk close with God, they pray a lot, they witness a lot… “and I have this picture in my mind that that’s what Christians ought to be like, but…(he hesitated again)…then there’s me!” I listened for awhile, and then I began to gently probe. I asked some leading questions that would help me to understand him before launching into saying the wrong thing. I was very satisfied that he was indeed built on the foundation of Jesus Christ that Paul speaks about in this passage we read. I was satisfied that his commitment was a genuine one. As a matter of fact this question arose in his heart precisely because his faith commitment was so genuine. As he and I continued talking that afternoon, I began to realize that this fellow with this question may well be representative of many Christians, and as matter of fact, I had to admit that I’ve wrestled with that question from time to time too. I also have asked “why isn’t my Christian life more dynamic?” Have you? Do you feel like you were there in that conversation too? Perhaps you would have been raising the same subject. Half—Healed People Now as I continued to talk to the man, our conversation turned to what we called “half—healed people”, people who were healed and therefore quite different from what they were before, but the process was so unfinished. “Half—healed”, we called them. People, we said, who are not sick anymore, but they aren’t really healthy yet, either. I was thinking of people who can walk, but who can’t walk very well, because they are still crippled. And then we talked about another story, one in John 11, the chapter we know as the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. It’s a special chapter in the Bible for many Christians because Jesus makes this huge and bold claim, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies”. And it’s in this chapter that we learn Jesus stood outside Lazarus’ tomb and called “Lazarus, come out!” and he did! It was a supernatural event. Lazarus came back to life! But there is a very poignant element in the story that most of us skip right over. After Jesus raised him, it says, “The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” That, of course, was a reference to the normal burial process of wrapping the body with cloths and spices as an early embalming process. But just imagine the picture of this fellow standing there at the opening of his tomb. He’s alive. Yes, he was dead for four days, but now he’s alive. He really is. But…he’s all wrapped up, hands, feet, face…so he can’t see, can’t move, can’t walk, can’t even speak. All the residue of his state of death is still wrapped around him. So Jesus gives the command, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Finally he was all Jesus raised him to be! And then we thought of another similar situation. This time it was a blind man whose story is told in the eighth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. Jesus encountered a blind man just outside of Bethsaida who was just begging for Jesus to touch him that he might be healed of his blindness. Jesus did. He put some spit and his hands on the man’s eyes and then asked him, “Do you see anything?” And the man looked up and said, “I see…” But that’s not all he said. He said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Well, that’s not very good, that’s not good sight. So Jesus touched him again and it says, “Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” So apparently, early on he was healed, he could see, but he was half—healed and could not see clearly. He wasn’t yet all that Christ had healed him to be! It’s in that spirit that Paul speaks about the congregation of believers here in Corinth in the passage that we read a little while ago. They are believers; they have built their hope for heaven on the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ; he calls them brothers and sisters. If we continue with our terminology, they are healed people, so to speak. But there still is quite a difference among them. Listen to how he describes that. He says they all are building on that foundation that has been laid, but they are building so differently. Some are building with gold, silver and costly stones; but others are building with wood, hay and straw. That means that some of those building materials are of much more value than others. Some will last; some will not last. As a matter of fact some of those materials are combustible; some are non—combustible. And at the last day, the Judgment Day, when all the work of our lives is evaluated (Paul says “the fire will test the quality of each mans work”) some of it will be burned up, and some will survive. That means that some Christians will be saved, because it’s all of grace, yet will suffer loss of all they have worked for; others will be saved by grace, and also have the reward and evidence of a life lived well. So when my friend came in to talk about why his Christian life isn’t more dynamic, and when we began to think about what we called “half—healed people” we were dealing with a frustration among Christians that really is very important. The Danger and Damage But, why? Why is it so important? Maybe you feel like saying something like, “well, so what? So what if we aren’t always up to what we ought to be in our Christian life?” Well, let me remind you of several reasons of why it’s so critically important. In the first place, this is exactly what Satan wants for Christians. If he cannot be successful in prohibiting us from becoming Christians (that’s his first choice, of course), if he can’t do that, then he’d much prefer that we be half—healed, weak, and unproductive. Secondly, this condition produces very frustrated Christians. I can just imagine Lazarus standing there all wrapped up, unable to move, and saying, “So? What’s so great about being raised? It’s just not all it’s cracked up to be!” And for the blind man mumbling about the fact that it’s no good being healed, “I still can’t read!” I wonder how many Christians around us are frustrated that way, feeling as though they are stuck in mediocrity. And in addition, it stunts and stalls our growth. Christ wants his children to grow, to build well on the foundation with high quality building materials. He redeemed us, not only so we could be his children, but so that we can be his growing, fruit—bearing children. If there’s no desire for more, we’ll have no motivation for spiritual growth. But it does other things too. This condition that we are calling “half—healed” also gives a very poor witness to the life of the church and the gospel of Christ. We all know, of course, that there are many people who will give the gospel of Christ and the message of the Christian Church a good hearing, or will quickly reject it, on the basis of what they see in those of us who are within the church. And who will possibly be attracted when the message seems to be that you can only be healed half—way here? It also creates a weaker church. That’s what Paul was so concerned about with the church in Corinth. Corinth was a strategic city, in which a powerful witness to the gospel was needed. But instead the church was worldly, immature, with all kinds of divisions among them. And of course, the bottom line according to Paul is that this will produce embarrassment at the judgment day. Listen to his words, when the judgment day tests and reveals the quality of all our work, some of us will discover that what we have is all burned up. Oh, yes, we are saved by the grace of God, and we enter heaven only by that grace, or in Paul’s words here, we “will be saved, but only as one passing through the flames.” But the embarrassment will lie in the fact that all we have brought with us, all our living during the years God has given us, will be burned up and we will suffer loss. In other words, we have only ashes left. I think it would be so embarrassing for that to happen. Don’t you?! So this question of just how dynamic my Christian life is should not be quickly pushed aside. There’s a lot riding on it. Actions So if you find this question whirling around from time to time, what should you do? Let me identify some helpful steps you can take. And let me begin to answer that by repeating what I have said. It IS a dangerous problem, and it DOES need attention. You must be convinced of that. Being stuck in mediocrity is not what Christ had in mind for you when he went to the cross. Being half—healed does not represent the full extent of the riches in Christ Jesus that are rightfully yours. Go to the Bible again, over and over, and hear the voice of Christ calling you to grow in faith, to produce fruit, to become more productive in your living, your obedience, and your Christian service and witness. So it will be necessary to identify what is holding you back. What is it that’s getting in the way? Notice how, in John’s description of Lazarus, he clearly identifies what it is that is holding him back from walking and talking and moving. John says very clearly that his hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth was around his face. And then it’s very clear what has to be done, and what needs to be unwrapped. And when Paul wrote to these Corinthian Christians, he did the same thing. He clearly identified the problem that had to be rooted out. They were building their Christian lives with such poor materials, and he even identifies those in their community life — you quarrel, you have all kinds of divisions in your church, you align yourself with one leader over against another, you have all kinds of jealousy, you tolerate immorality, you take each other to court so easily. Yes, it’s very clear what has to receive attention. Well, how about you? What is holding you back that you have to get rid of? What sinful habits are stunting your growth? What bad attitudes are killing your joy? What broken relationships are destroying you? Is there un—confessed sin, or perhaps brewing anger? What unchristian values have gotten hold of you? Identify them, and aim to root them out. Now let me suggest some personal practices that will help overcome those things that are holding you back. Be in prayer for the Holy Spirit of God to lead you. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity, and he is the one who has been entrusted with your growth and maturity in the faith. He wants to make you more like Christ. He delights in it when you grow; and he grieves when you are only half—healed. And here is the good news — he is available to you for the asking. Listen to Jesus in Luke 11:13, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” So, go ahead, ask him. He invited you to do so. Ask him to send the Spirit to give you better growth and healing. And then also practice the disciplines of the Christian life. You see, there are certain practices in the Christian life that we call “disciplines” which, when we faithfully observe them, become the means by which God and his Spirit work in our hearts for good growth. I’m thinking of the regular confession of our sins to receive his pardon, the daily reading of the Scriptures to feed our heart, the meditation on his word so that his Spirit speaks with our spirit, times of prayer to express our love, adoration, explain our needs to him, and to seek his care for others. A growing life is built around these disciplines. Also, vital worship should be a part of your life. I don’t mean just going to church as an empty routine, but going to a good Bible—based church where you are able to encounter God, vibrantly praise him, engage in prayer, experience fellowship with others, and above all to learn from and be shaped by the faithful preaching of the Word of God. I hope you are part of a good Christian church that will help you in that, and that you are faithful in your attendance there. It’s also important that you learn to be a servant. That’s right — learn to serve, to give yourself, unselfishly for other people and aim to make a difference in their lives. Our world teaches us to think about ourselves, to live for ourselves, to be concerned primarily about ourselves and what we need and want. Step over that tendency, learn to think of others. Find someone less fortunate than you are and go to help them. There are crowds of people who are eagerly awaiting help from others: they are poor, unemployed, lonely, sick, suffering from injustice, or AIDS. They are aged, or disabled, and in general forgotten by others. One famed counselor once said that the best thing many of us could do for our own internal health would be to turn the key in the door, walk across the tracks, locate someone in need and find a way to be of help to them in the name of Christ. It just could be that if we all do that for six months, this question that we began with could just go away! And then let me round it all out by encouraging you to get a good mentor. Or perhaps you call her an accountability partner. It’s someone who is committed to your personal growth in Christ, someone who will meet with you regularly to talk about life, someone who will encourage you in growth, someone who will ask about your practice of the Christian disciplines, who will inquire about your Christian service, (in short) someone who will hold before you the model and example of a life lived well and fully in the name of Christ. All of us have so many mentors and heroes today in our secular culture who really do us no good. We consider them heroes but they live for values that directly contradict what our Christian faith is all about. Turn away from them, and bring into your life mentors, friends, accountability partners who will set a healthy pattern for you and hold you to your commitments. Conclusion So the concern you raise is a good one. None of us should be willing to settle for a Christian life that is drab, uninspiring, and mediocre. Christ came to die for us so that our living would be dynamic, that is filled with the Spirit’s power. The church will be the church it’s called to be in this world when it’s filled with people like that. It’s a good concern, one that comes right out of the heart of God. Set yourself today on a path of obedience and discipline that will show you are building your life with the best possible materials, with the gold, silver and costly stones of Christian obedience. Seek out some friends who will help you. Find a church that will encourage you. Pray faithfully for the Spirit’s power to aid you. And spend time daily in the inspired Word of God to feed you.

Prayer

Gracious God, we give you thanks today for the gift of life. WE know it has come from you and we receive each day with a grateful heart. But we also know that you want these days to count, to be lived to the fullest, with deep satisfaction. So, we ask that you forgive us for the times when we have wasted our days and frittered them away with frivolous and selfish living. We ask that you fill us and life us to a higher level of living— living that shows we love you with all our heart, our soul, and our mind; living that loves our neighbors as our self. Capture us, Lord, completely. Lead us, Lord, to valuable living in the power of your Holy Spirit. For Christ’s sake, Amen.

About the Author

Howard Vanderwell

Howard Vanderwell was ordained in the Christian Reformed Church in 1962. He received his M.Div. and Th.M. degree from Calvin Theological Seminary and his D.Min. at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. He has served as pastor to four congregations over 40 years in Iowa, Illinois and Michigan. After leaving the pastorate in 2002 he began a new ministry at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. He is currently a staff member at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and Adjunct Professor of Worship at Calvin Theological Seminary. He consults with local congregations, provides worship materials, leads conferences and workshops, and teaches courses on worship at Calvin Seminary. Howard’‘s interests include planning, leading and evaluating worship, preaching, and worship renewal throughout the evangelical church. “My life-long prayer, from my days as a child, was that I might be honored to serve as a Christian Reformed pastor preaching the Word of God to encourage and challenge his people. I consider the forty years of my pastoral ministry to have been the most valuable way in which I could have invested those years! When I consult with pastors, teach and mentor students, hold conferences for worship leaders, or write worship planning materials, my aim is to equip and inspire others to serve their Lord and Savior by making a whole-hearted investment in his church and his people. Such ministry is certainly not without its stresses and discouragements, and those of us who have found such joy in a life-time of ministry are uniquely fitted to encourage others.” Howard lives in Hudsonville, MI with his wife Eleanor. They have three married sons and ten grandchildren ages 5 through 19. His hobbies are yard-gardening, walking, photography and model railroading.

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