Why are we so addicted to stories? Think about it. Everyone of us gets wrapped up in one story or another. Most of us have favorite T.V. shows that we follow or a list of our favorite movies. Others of us may drift away into a good book or get caught up in the latest video game.
Think about it...you don't get hooked on a T.V. show that has a boring plot. Nobody wants to play a video that has no action. It's hard not to fall asleep to a book that seems like nothing happens. We expect good stories because we are designed for story.
We are hooked on stories. Often times we retreat into a good movie, book, or show because we want a source of brainless entertainment for a while. Others of us might have the tendency to get into these things as a way to escape our lives temporarily...to become someone else. Which, to me, is what makes video games so appealing. We can be somebody else for a change.
Now, I don't have anything against any of those things. However, it's tragic whenever we get so caught up in other stories that we forget about the story that we are called to be a part of...God's story. The Christian life should be anything but boring and mundane.
Listen to this text: (2 Cor. 5:17-19)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Not only has God reconciled us to Himself, but he has called us to be a part of His reconciliation project in the world. God is redeeming the entire world to Himself, and we are all called to be a part of this exciting mission. In fact, nothing can be more exciting!
How are to we to do this, though? How can we pro-actively be a part of God's story? Peter tells us how we can participate as children of God. In 1 Peter 4:10-11 he says,
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."
As a people reconciled to God, God has given us various gifts to share God's grace with others. We are able to share what has been given to us...grace.
Again, there are no bench-warmers in the kingdom of God. The game is so much more exciting whenever you are actually playing and not when you are sitting on the sidelines.
If you find yourself bored with Christianity, bored with Church, I can tell you confidently that you need to get into the game. Nothing else is more exciting.
