Pastor Benji Aymond (XMC Alumni): "iLife"

Check out XMC Alumni Benji Aymond's Blog by clicking HERE

What is the iLife? It is the life that you live that screams "It is all about me, myself, and I." The iLife is only concerned about itself and completely disregards others. The iLife is about self absorption, pride, arrogance, and self indulgence. I believe in our western culture that there are many people living the iLife. We are taught we can be whatever we want or who ever we want and it doesn't matter who we have to step on to get there. This is completely counter to New Testament Christianity. Jesus taught about putting others before you. He demonstrated how humility is powerful. Jesus even said to treat people as you would treat your own self. Why don't we see more of this in Christian circles?

In fact I think the opposite happens more times than not. I mean just think of how most Christians treat those who don't believe as they do. Nine out of ten times we are more likely to demonize those people than to see them as the one sheep who strayed from the other ninety-nine. Why? Because we want it to be completely about us. In the book of Philippians Paul the Apostle even talks about people preaching Christ for their own selfish gain. I mean... where are we in our relationship with Christ when we begin to use the gospel for our selfish ambition?

This is the iLife that is prevalent in Christians.

Pastors are leading churches and losing sight of the cross while grabbing tightly a hold to fame, money, and political power. Christians are more concerned with how their actions will be held in the sight of others rather than in the sight of God. David sang in Psalms, "turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain."

We live the iLife when we become more concerned with what comes IN to US than what goes OUT to GOD.

I remember riding in my 1997 Toyota Corolla with my pal Jacob Mcmanus. I was 19 years old when God brought to my attention my wrong doing in my "good works". Jacob turned to me and said, "You know Benji, we have a problem with pride. We become so prideful of the good things we do that we do those good things for the wrong reasons." There is an episode on the TV series "Scrubs" in which one of the main characters, Christopher Turk, as a young surgeon, saves a man's life at a vendor stand. Dr. Cox, the main bad guy pseudo mentor, touches upon the condition of the human heart to desire being awarded for the good it does. Dr. Cox makes a bet with Turk, that the young doctor will not be able to keep his heroic act a secret, but would rather sell out to recieve the honor and fame for his deed. At the end of the show others are claiming credit, especially Dr. Cox, for the rescue of the man's life. No longer able to stand it, Turk bursts out proclaiming that he was the one who saved the man's life and deserved the attention for it.

I don't know about you, but I have a problem with not receiving honor for my good works here, and it reflects my selfish ambitions.

Jesus, while teaching his disciples about prayer, tells them not be like the hypocrites who pray loud and with many words on the street corners. They receive their reward from the praise they get from men, but rather that His disciples should pray in the secret, so that God will hear them and reward them. What is Jesus essentially talking about here? He is talking about not doing good for others in order to receive a reward from men. Try doing something good for someone and making sure NO ONE ever finds out about it. It is extremely hard to do!

We live the iLife when we do good to others, not for their sake, but for our own.

But didn't Jesus say to let our good works shine before men so that they may praise our Father in Heaven? YES! But we MUST do it with selflessness and always point people to Christ in our good works, never for our own selfish ambition. The Bible says to give honor where honor is due as well. Giving someone honor who deserves it is a biblical thing to do, it is in the receiver's hands though, how they handle the honor and who they pass it on to!

I'm so glad that Jesus was not selfish. Jesus did not live the iLife. Jesus even sent a "rich young ruler" away because he was too concerned about the iLife than he was about the ABUNDANT LIFE Jesus was offering him. Jesus selflessly laid down His life, endured the cross, the humility, and the shame for us!

So may it become clear to you the areas in your life in which you are living the iLife, and may you give that selfishness up to take upon the selflessness of Christ's teaching.

Lost about life’s decisions? No peace? Ready to move on? Read this!

This is a blog from XMC staff Jared O'Kelley. Check out his blog HERE

Be still! If God didn't give you peace about the next move, then he doesn't want you to leave where you are. If you got where you are despite God, then you would have a peace about moving on. If you have no direction, then stay where you are!
First, I evaluate how I felt when God pointed me to the most recent stage of my life. Usually I felt excited, empowered, anointed, and used by God. Then I evaluate what are the things that made me feel different about the most recent stage now.
If the answers are boredom, frustration with someone you don't agree with, anticipation that your life is not progressing as fast as your peers seem to be, then usually I pray and remind myself of God's timing, and ask him to help me to cope and get over it. Then I count my blessings.(Notice I speak of feeling, which fleets and fades, comes and goes. God gave us emotion to weigh in on things that matter most, but often they can create a fog that clutters our minds with trivial matters.)

If the answer is: this is stopping me from my God given dream, or this is unbiblical, or this is hindering me from growing, then ask God what’s next, and wait. (What’s funny is that we consult God asking him if something that will make us grow spiritually is the right decision, but we jump into everything else so willingly, like relationships and careers, and wonder why we get miserable.) Waiting doesn't mean being lazy; it means work really hard at the last sure thing you know beyond emotion God pointed you to.

With all that said, let me offer a balance to the equation. Remember my life motto: "There are 365 days in a year, and 1 great commission."
It means this: We put a lot of weight into asking God to micro manage decisions in our life that the bible and the holy spirit already give us clearance for. We do this sometimes so much so that we slow the progress of life.
I know God called me to art my whole life, especially music. I know that God gave me this gift to give him glory. Now, say I write a song about cars, and sell it to be used for a car commercial. I just used my God given gift to bless my life with resources I need to live and continue to give God praise. I also want to write and illustrate children’s books. Say I create one about kids dealing with bullies, or everyone pooping, and it gets really successful, did I commit a great sin? No! God gave me this gift to live my life!

If you want to do something to better your life, and its not unbiblical, then go get it! If its a game changing decision, then consult God... but if you’re lost on something and you’re miserable, and you have no spiritual lesson to learn or you're not contractually tied to it spiritually (i.e. marriage or your covenant with God) then better your self and move on.
Sometimes we expect our life to be that of a bible character or a great evangelist. But we forget that their stories are told in cliff notes. They had to live the daily grind we do too! They were lost, confused, and seeking God’s direction all the time just like we are sometimes. Imagine being told that you’re going to be king of a nation, then sent back in a field to write songs and count sheep. I’m sure there were days that dude felt lost!

There is 365 and 1 commission. If you’re faithful to share the gospel, and you’re obedient when God calls, then the other days of the year are yours to live. It’s your life! You can't get lost if you’re pioneering a trail for the one thing that is truly yours. This is especially true if you give the one thing that is yours to a God who owns all things. Do this under a life of discipline, submission, the leading of the holy spirit, and held to the light of God’s word, then take it day by day… you’ll do fine champ! I know it!

Hope this helps as you face life’s decisions and run the race!
Be blessed
-jok