Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Boredom and Busyness

For example, the Kingdom is advanced when a husband lovingly listens to his wife, a politician does her job with integrity, a school teacher upgrades his curriculum, a mother welcomes her children after school, a neighbor plays checkers with an elderly shut-in, or a stockbroker offers wise counsel. All these activities represent a King who wants to win back that which was lost to the enemy (Luke 19.10). These actions extend beyond what are normally considered “spiritual,” encompassing every aspect of life. By definition, all waking hours are spent in ministry. The question is not whether people are ministering or not; the only question is whether they are ministering well or not. Bob Roberts describes the EPIC life when he challenges believers to be totally wild spirits , who seek to do more than live the “inside” kind of faith. “It’s fun to live the Christian life in such a way that you don’t always know the next bend or how the current bend is going to impact you. When you live life on pilgrimage, you are learning to walk by faith, something we don’t do a lot of today.” 54 This kind of walk empowers Christians to realize they can make a difference every moment of the day. They can do things they never dreamed possible, living in a sense of adventure and risk, which is what following God is all about. Church members can be free from the limitations of religious work on Sunday alone, recognizing that their service is from “sunup to sundown.” God is at work in their families and their relationships, making all of life sacred. The results of this outlook are companionship, unity, maturity, and meaning.

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