The Christian Atheist

"We believe in God, but our lives don't really reflect who He is." (The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel, 36)


My youth pastor from my church back at home gave the sermon this morning and it was essentially about being a Christian Atheist.  Now if you think about this for a minute, that label is scary.  I am definitely guilty of being a Christian Atheist.  I was saved by the grace of God and believe in Jesus but my actions, words, and thoughts can say otherwise.  If we have been transformed by Christ, our lives will show that.  I can never seem to remember that what I have been given, I have been given by Christ and it isn't mine to keep away from others.  My level of generosity and selflessness is low.  I think this all starts with me simply not having God's heart for others all the time.  This forces me to ask myself, do I really know God?  No I mean, do I REALLY know Him?  And not just know about Him, but know Him...intimately.  I want all I do to be motivated by my deep love for Christ, not for the sake of gaining others' approval. 


My favorite passage in the Bible is Psalm 63:1-4


"You, God, are my God, 
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands."


This is the cry of my heart.  To be able to say to God, "You are MY God and I intimately know you."  I want to seek have an attitude of always seeking, because if we seek God, we WILL find Him.  As we seek and find, we will be consumed with continually seeking and finding Christ.  This does not lead to dissatisfaction, as worldly things do.  God is and will always be bigger than we can even comprehend, but as we seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us and we will be completely satisfied in Him.  


We will be satisfied...NOT complacent.  Being satisfied in God is believing and knowing that God is enough.  Being complacent is staying the same.  When we seek God, we will never be the same.  God satisfies our hunger and thirst.  The Creator molded us and created a hole in our hearts that only He can fill.  However, we try and fill it with things on earth and we end up being even unhappier than when we stared.  This is because none other than the Creator of the universe can fill that void.  


When people look at your life, they will be able to easily tell who or what is most important to you by the amount of time and energy you put into specific things.  If we truly say that we are completely in love with Christ, do our lives show that?  We say that we "feel bad" for people who have no water...do we really?  Do we seriously only "feel bad"?  Does God call us to just "feel bad" for the poor and oppressed?  God wants us to truly be broken for His people, just as He is.  


If we even "feel bad", it maybe lasts for 5 minutes, but then we go back to accidentally leaving the water on or complaining about how the water tastes weird.  Seriously??  I am so guilty of that and it pains me to say that.  God has placed a burden on my heart for the untouchables of this world: orphans, girls in the sex-trafficking industry, and the least/lost/lonely.  But looking at my life...what I am doing EVERYDAY to act on that?  Am I lessening the amount of water I use?  Am I restricting my purchasing?  Am I only buying things that promote the well-being of the poor?  Being broken for God's people requires daily sacrifice. 


Go to slaveryfootprint.org
You will be motivated to radically change your lifestyle.


I need to live simply.
I need to be intentional about my words and actions.
I need to know God.
I need my heart to be in sync with God's heart.
I need to deeply love.