This post is part of an ongoing blog series on Pomomusings entitled “(Re)Imagining Christianity.” To read about the series, as well as get a full schedule of participants, click here.
What is one belief, practice or element of Christianity that we must hold onto and live out more fully so that Christianity can move forward and truly impact the world in the next 100 years?
Like many of you, I’ve been a Christian all my life. I asked Jesus into my heart at a garage sale when I was eight years old – the ultimate bargain (yes I just went there). I recently turned 25 and have been experiencing a spiritual quarter life crisis of sorts. No longer does my faith rely on my parents or my college group, but all of a sudden it’s up to me whether or not I want to tithe or care about Joseph Kony or wake up for church on Sunday morning. It sounds cliché, but I am learning that if I really want to make a difference I need to own my own faith. Your mid-twenties are a turning point for many reasons. Right now I’m being humbled and relearning the lessons I grew up on as if I’m hearing them for the first time.
In many ways, I am.
One of these foundational thoughts I’ve been recently coming back to time and time again has been this idea of freedom in Christ. Paul tells us in Galatians that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Gal. 5:1a). If Christians are to live out the gospel in the next century, we must not do so stagnantly while being tied down to our jobs, busyness, even our loved ones. As the apostles left their families and careers to follow Christ, so we must set down our nets and walk truly free in Him. What does this look like for the average believer? Let’s not be crippled by the daily distractions that cloud our suburban minds (we’re all guilty of this). Prayerfully consider what God might be asking of you. Be willing and open. Do not think that because you work a 9-5 and have a comfortable life and send your children to Sunday School every week that you have attained everything – rather, be willing to give more and live less comfortably and rely on God’s providence more heavily.
I have a friend who’s taking a sabbatical, as it were, from church altogether. He’s seeking to find church in living: shooting hoops with guys at the gym, meeting informally with friends to talk about life, maybe even move to a different part of the country because he feels God calling him there. Let’s not be fooled into thinking that serving God only takes place within the four walls of our church buildings. Open yourself up to the freedom that only comes from allowing Jesus to guide your every step. It’s when you subject yourself to the most vulnerable of situations that you will feel His guidance the strongest. Make the most out of every opportunity – we were meant to live glorious lives, shining as stars for Christ, as a bright and unforgettable light on a hill.
Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14b
Laura Lawson:Â Laura is an artist and writer for Escape Into Life located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was recently diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that is slowly rendering her blind, and seeks to ignite the blind community with hope through her blog Believing Is Seeing. When she’s not painting, she can often be found eating things with Nutella on them and taking Instagram photos. Find Laura on twitter and instagram at @lauralawson or visit her website at lauralawsonart.com.