Your way?

Growing up, Burger King used to have this commercial jingle: "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us…all we ask is that you let us have it YOUR way! Have it YOUR way at Burger King." Fast Food restaurants in the late 60’s and early 70’s were more the exception, not the rule for dining out options. I don’t know if this jingle increased sales at Burger King, but I do know it began a trend that revolutionized fast food forever. All of a sudden, consumers were no longer confined to how a place prepared their food…they had choices! I wonder how many mothers repeatedly chimed at their children, "this isn’t Burger King!" during that era?

Today, the world screams at us "have it YOUR way." It is all about me. Whatever I want, whenever I want it and on demand, 24/7.

Unfortunately, this mindset has saturated our churches. I guess they are called "seeker friendly" churches. You know the ones I’m talking about. However, I don’t attend one of "those" kind of churches. I attend a church whose theme…er, vision…is displayed in gold letters on the wall behind where the pastor teaches. I attend a church "devoted to…Jesus Christ."

But I wonder about how devoted I am to Jesus Christ? This week I was challenged to literally "put Jesus right there next to me" in all situations when interacting with family, friends or the body. You see, I want to follow and be devoted to Christ. Don’t you? When I am focused on Christ, situations with others seem to be valued with Him in mind rather than me in mind. And, when I’m focused on Christ, I seem to be able to pay attention to those around me better, and love them…encourage them…be patient with them...correct them…challenge them…or pray for them.

The following was from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening for today:

"And be not conformed to this world."
- Rom_12:2
If a Christian can by possibility be saved while he conforms to this world, at any rate it must be so as by fire. Such a bare salvation is almost as much to be dreaded as desired. Reader, would you wish to leave this world in the darkness of a desponding death bed, and enter heaven as a shipwrecked mariner climbs the rocks of his native country? then be worldly; be mixed up with Mammonites, and refuse to go without the camp bearing Christ’s reproach. But would you have a heaven below as well as a heaven above? Would you comprehend with all saints what are the heights and depths, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge? Would you receive an abundant entrance into the joy of your Lord? Then come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Would you attain the full assurance of faith? you cannot gain it while you commune with sinners. Would you flame with vehement love? Your love will be damped by the drenchings of godless society. You cannot become a great Christian-you may be a babe in grace, but you never can be a perfect man in Christ Jesus while you yield yourself to the worldly maxims and modes of business of men of the world. It is ill for an heir of heaven to be a great friend with the heirs of hell. It has a bad look when a courtier is too intimate with his king’s enemies. Even small inconsistencies are dangerous. Little thorns make great blisters, little moths destroy fine garments, and little frivolities and little rogueries will rob religion of a thousand joys. O professor, too little separated from sinners, you know not what you lose by your conformity to the world. It cuts the tendons of your strength, and makes you creep where you ought to run. Then, for your own comfort’s sake, and for the sake of your growth in grace, if you be a Christian, be a Christian, and be a marked and distinct one.
The world lies to you and tells you it is all about you. If you are a Christian, your life is all about Jesus Christ. Try focusing on Him in all things, big and minutia, and see if your perspective on people, things and circumstances don’t shift drastically. I can tell you how it is for me…but, I want you to investigate this one and find out for yourself!

Jesus first…Others second…and Yourself, least of all = JOY.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace.

After all, this Christian life…isn’t Burger King!