Christ First, Christ Always
One of my friends recently got a tattoo which included the words, "Christ First, Christ Always". It's beautiful and inspiring... and slightly daunting. "Christ Always" can be taken and reasoned to mean that Christ is always with us, but put together with "Christ First", it resonates with a stronger promise. Christ first, and always first. An identity proclaimed as more than simply Christ with us, but Christ as who we are, at all times.
Daunting or not, isn't it better that way? Oh yes. I've been mulling over over an interesting correlation between satisfaction and completion in Christ, and satisfaction and completion in everyday life. Satisfaction and fulfillment are desired in this day and age.... and the routes people take to get them are varied. I have always gotten the most fulfillment from doing something than finishing though. And though there's certainly fulfillment to be found in accomplishing a task set before you, the challenge of overcoming brings more growth and satisfaction.
The easiest example would be to take video and computer games; almost entirely all satisfaction comes from the process of winning, and not the actual "You win!" screen. After all, the only thing to do after you win... is start over.
The experience is similar with anything else we do, reading books, recreation, watching movies, whatever. The satisfaction from books comes from the discovery, the uncovering of what you didn't know. Traversing a hiking trail or going on a bike ride is fun while you do it, and then you're done. Movies are great to watch, and then they're over. Even our everyday work jobs can bring us fulfillment, but like everything else, the accomplishments we make are not nearly as satisfying as our gradual progress. And when we can't see that, then there's little happiness to be found in work either.
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the old testament, but while I'd love to share several chapters with you, these verses are the most immediately relevant to this topic's subject matter.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26b, "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy,"
And 12:13, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
I have been mulling for several weeks now. And the conclusion is neither groundbreaking theology or a mind-blowing concept, but merely an interesting correlation between the empty fulfillment of the world, and the truth in Christ.
For we, those beloved in Christ, have an amazing truth to lay hold of. We are in constant fulfillment of everyday process, growth, and renewal, or sanctification. And, we also have the greatest end game fulfilling "You Win" truth ever- that we are free. That the price has been paid, and it is done.
Maybe daunting, and maybe the process of sanctification looks painful, but the truth is that the greatest continual fulfillment and satisfaction comes from Christ First, and Christ Always.
Daunting or not, isn't it better that way? Oh yes. I've been mulling over over an interesting correlation between satisfaction and completion in Christ, and satisfaction and completion in everyday life. Satisfaction and fulfillment are desired in this day and age.... and the routes people take to get them are varied. I have always gotten the most fulfillment from doing something than finishing though. And though there's certainly fulfillment to be found in accomplishing a task set before you, the challenge of overcoming brings more growth and satisfaction.
The easiest example would be to take video and computer games; almost entirely all satisfaction comes from the process of winning, and not the actual "You win!" screen. After all, the only thing to do after you win... is start over.
The experience is similar with anything else we do, reading books, recreation, watching movies, whatever. The satisfaction from books comes from the discovery, the uncovering of what you didn't know. Traversing a hiking trail or going on a bike ride is fun while you do it, and then you're done. Movies are great to watch, and then they're over. Even our everyday work jobs can bring us fulfillment, but like everything else, the accomplishments we make are not nearly as satisfying as our gradual progress. And when we can't see that, then there's little happiness to be found in work either.
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the old testament, but while I'd love to share several chapters with you, these verses are the most immediately relevant to this topic's subject matter.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26b, "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy,"
And 12:13, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
I have been mulling for several weeks now. And the conclusion is neither groundbreaking theology or a mind-blowing concept, but merely an interesting correlation between the empty fulfillment of the world, and the truth in Christ.
For we, those beloved in Christ, have an amazing truth to lay hold of. We are in constant fulfillment of everyday process, growth, and renewal, or sanctification. And, we also have the greatest end game fulfilling "You Win" truth ever- that we are free. That the price has been paid, and it is done.
Maybe daunting, and maybe the process of sanctification looks painful, but the truth is that the greatest continual fulfillment and satisfaction comes from Christ First, and Christ Always.
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