You Were Created for Work and not Entertainment

The culture of entertainment we live in is not what we were made for. God made us for something greater. - Clint Decker

The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC has an exhibit, “Entertainment Nation.” It explores America’s transformation into an entertainment and leisure focused country. Today, Americans spend nearly five hours a day being entertained through their phones, tablets, video games, computers, TVs, other games, sports, leisure and recreational activities. Budgets reflect this as people spend over $300 a month or $3,600 a year on entertainment related items. And even in hard times Americans are still determined to have lots of fun no matter their financial situation. (Image by unsplash)

Is this what we were created for – to be in constant pursuit of entertainment, pleasure, recreation, and leisure?

Our Creator had a different mindset. The Bible says about Him, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” (Genesis 2:1-2) The work God did took place before evil ever entered the world. Work was part of God’s utopia, the perfect place He created for mankind to live. And He purposed them to labor like Him, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Gen. 2:15) All mankind was created in the image of God, so since God worked, He created mankind to do the same.

What does it mean to work? It means to create, build or produce something. Just like God did with the heavens and the earth. Jesus, who is the physical image of the invisible God, reflects this. He once said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (John 5:17) He worked constantly at doing signs, wonders, miracles, teaching and preaching to bring the Kingdom of God to earth and build His church. Then near the end, before His death and resurrection, he said, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (Jn. 17:4)

The culture of entertainment we live in is not what we were made for. God made us for something greater. He made us so that we might create and build things for His glory, and for the good of other people, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

When we give ourselves to work, we are the benefactors. When we work at our job with excellence we might get promoted or a pay raise. When we work at building a company, we provide beneficial products and services to people and give others a place of employment to provide for their family. When we work on our marriage, we can have a strong and healthy relationship with our spouse. When we work at raising godly children, we provide them a foundation for a successful future. When we work at maintaining our home and property we provide something that will last and can be used to be a blessing for others.

We have a moral obligation to work, so we can provide for ourselves without relying upon others. We also have an obligation to teach our children and grandchildren to work so they too can provide for themselves. God tell us to, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Proverbs 22:6) Training a child is more than just teaching him to tie his shoes, ride a bike or go to school and learn to read and write. Training also involves teaching our children how to work. That is what we are doing when we assign them simple chores like making their bed, feeding the dog, taking the trash out, cleaning off the table and other things. They are learning invaluable skills to prepare them to make it on their own.

A prayer for you – Lord God, help us to realize the blessing you have provided to create and build things through working. Help us to be an example to the next generation of the value and joy of labor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When We Are Living a Lie

Some profess to know God but contradict that in how they live. What they say on Sunday and how they live does not match up. This gives ample reason to question the genuineness of their faith. - Clint Decker

Your spouse says they love you, but you find intimate text messages to another person. Your business partner says the company is extremely profitable and doing well, but you discover unapproved bank transfers going into an offshore account of theirs. Your church’s youth pastor says very biblical things and is an excellent youth leader, but you learn about his abusiveness toward his wife and children at home. (Image by pexels)

When someone says one thing, but does another, it can be a crushing discovery. The Bible speaks about this regarding a situation with some church leaders, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

This strong, but accurate statement, hits on a theme of the Bible. It springs from a problem in the human heart that causes one’s words and actions not to align with each other. This type of living is a lie. It is deceptive and manipulative, leading to a lack of personal trust and integrity. It is spiritually dangerous, potentially causing the damnation of one’s personal soul.

Jesus addressed this when He asked a rhetorical question to His listeners, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) In other word’s Jesus is asking, “Why do you say you believe in me, but do not obey my commands?” This was also dealt with hundreds of years before Jesus, as God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely…then come and stand before me…?” (Jeremiah 7:9-10)

It is a life of contradictions. On one hand, people profess to know God through their words or Christian activities but contradict that in how they live. What they say on Sunday and how they live the rest of the week does not match up. This gives ample reasons for someone to question the genuineness of their faith, and if they have truly been saved.

They say with confidence, “I pray”, “I believe”, or even “I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins.” Yet, their life is a walking illustration of a religious lie when sins like drunkenness, sexual immorality, anger, bitterness, profanity or others mark their life. How can this be? They may respond with, “No one is perfect.” Yes, but it is not a justification for continuing to do what one knows is wrong. In a situation like this, the person has become a “hypocrite”, otherwise known as, a religious actor. It is written, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man…” (Romans 2:1)

This is a widespread problem. Many have chosen to live this way because there is no cost to it. It is a vain attempt to have two kingdoms. God’s and theirs. It provides the benefits of religion where one can pray, believe in God, experience His blessings, or even enjoy worship and take the Lord’s Supper. And in return, they have created a false sense of peace and seared their conscience as they justify living however they choose.

Those who teach or believe this, are embracing a dangerous lie. For God strongly condemns this and will not be deceived or mocked. Jesus will one day say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23)

To enter into God’s Kingdom, you must walk away from your kingdom, and into His. There might be relationships that need to end, places you need to stop going and habits that need to be broken. This is repentance and is costly when you turn from self and toward Jesus by faith.

If God were to examine your life, what would He see? Just empty religion or a life that is sold out to Christ?

A prayer for you – Lord God, examine my life. Help me to see what you see. If I have been living for two kingdoms, show me. From this day forward help me to live fully for Christ, the One who suffered, died and rose again that I might truly live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come Into The Beautiful

There is one thing that is good, beautiful and sacred in this world, which has not been touched by all the perversion it, however, it is not of this world. - Clint Decker  

Is there anything left in our world that is good, beautiful and sacred or has all become lost? We live in a world of perverted and disgusting things. The profanity laced rants people go on are disgusting. The acts done upon innocent children are repulsive. Those who prey upon our elderly are sickening. The types of sexual behaviors that have become normalized are appalling. 

However...there is one beautiful thing that has not been touched by all the distressing things around us, but it is not of this world, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens,” the Bible says. (Isaiah 51:6). Then while looking to the heavens Isaiah the prophet once wrote, “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” Isaiah then described angels he saw, “Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” Isaiah recorded how the angels spoke in response to what they saw, “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’ Immediately, Isaiah felt something move beneath his feet, “And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” Isaiah never experienced anything like this. It was a supernatural occurrence. Incredibly, He was staring at Almighty God on His throne in heaven while being enveloped in the majesty of God’s incomprehensible holiness. Isaiah humbled himself before the wonder of it all and spoke, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Is. 6:2-5)

This extraordinary experience from Isaiah tells us that in the middle of all the uncleanness in which we dwell, there remains something that is good, beautiful and sacred. The holiness of God.

What is holy or holiness? It is primarily a religious world that means separation. Separation from what? All that is depraved, immoral and filthy.

Read what is written about heaven, “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false.” (Revelation 21:27). Heaven is God’s holy dwelling place, and He will not allow anyone who is sinful to come into His holy presence because He must separate Himself from such things. Why?

The root of His holiness is His moral perfection. In His eternal existence He has never once been immoral, prideful or selfish. Never! It is not that He chooses not to, like us. No. He does not, because He cannot. He is perfect. He is holy. And this holiness is what makes God beautiful.

When Jesus was transfigured on a mountain before His disciples the Scriptures say about Him, “…the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white…” (Luke. 9:29)

What were the disciples seeing? The beauty of the holiness of God in Jesus.

The holiness of God also manifests itself with a blazing purity and an unrivaled power, and one day, like Isaiah, all of us will stand before this holy God, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians. 5:10).

What shall we do? Come into the beautiful! Follow Isaiah’s example, and humble yourself, then believe by faith, that through Jesus, He can make you holy, as He is holy, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray you will lift our eyes above all the filth of this world to see the beauty of your holiness. Then search us, to see if there be any uncleanness within us that we might be made holy as you are. In Jesus’ name. Amen.