People talk a lot today about being “fulfilled”. “Fulfilled” probably has different meanings for different people, but a broad definition might be “having the kind of life you want without any major problems”. It’s understandable that all of us would like to have life on our terms. There would be something wrong if a person said, “I want a life in which I don’t get anything I want and everything I don’t want!” There is a big difference, however, between hoping for pleasant circumstances and making a god of them.
The frequently mentioned American Dream is that every generation will be better off financially than the previous one. Incredibly, this has pretty much happened since World War II. America has prospered to such an extent for so long, that we have come to expect that with each new generation our homes are going to be a little bit bigger, our cars a little more luxurious, our vacations a little more exotic and our health a little less problematic. Such spectacular material success has developed into the belief that each person deserves to have life as he/she desires.
When Jesus called his followers he said, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.” By using the powerful imagery of the Roman cross, Jesus made it very clear that to be his disciple meant giving up our wants and rights in order to become the person he intends us to be. Today, we use the word “discipleship” to describe this process. It is the Church’s great responsibility to help individual believers grow more like Christ in their walk through life. Join us this Saturday evening (6:00 pm) or Sunday morning (10:00 am) as we walk the path together which leads to becoming the people God means us to be.
