“Christianity was never intended to be a noun. And when we turn it into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity was always intended to be a verb. We’ve got to act on God ideas. . . . Obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We’ve got to seize opportunities to serve.”- Mark Batterson
In Chapter 8 (“Sweat Equity”) of Primal, Mark Batterson discusses what it means to love God with all your strength. To love God with all your strength means:
- expending tremendous amounts of energy for kingdom causes
- blood, sweat, and tears
- servanthood and sacrifice
- good old-fashioned hard work
Yet, Pastor Batterson contends, energy may be the least appreciated dimension of love. Compared to the other dimensions, it’s the least sentimental. However, it’s the most practical. And, the way we invest our energy reveals (a) our true priorities and (b) how much we love someone. Thus, as Mark explains, burning calories for a kingdom cause brings great fulfillment:
“So many Christians are bored. So many Christians are frustrated by the gap between their theology and reality. The way to close the gap, and the way to experience that holy rush of adrenaline again is to break a sweat serving others. It can be as simple as . . . volunteering at a local nursing home. It doesn’t matter how big or small, every calorie burned for a kingdom cause . . .[will] fill the emptiness in your soul with pure joy.”
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson stresses that we can’t miss the link between creativity and energy. Most of us, the author believes, fail to show a creative flair because we think it’s too hard. As a result, we give up too easily. But E-N-E-R-G-Y provides one way to spell creativity. So when you get a God idea, choose to be intentional. Act on it.
Today’s question: When have you chosen to act on God ideas, to seize opportunities to serve? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “God ideas – blood, sweat, and tears”