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Earth Shattering News!

Earth Shattering News!

Get the discussion questions for Earth Shattering News!

I recently heard the results of a highly scientific and revealing study that took hundreds of hours and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The results were shocking and surprising...even earth shattering.

Ready?

Experts agree and now have absolute proof:

Kids who watch a ton of television on school nights actually don't do as well at school!

Wow! Stop the presses! Look at my surprised face!

(Note: By now you have caught on to the dripping sarcasm...if not, you have probably been watching too much television.)

Yeah, I could have saved that research group a lot of time and money, because as it turns out, most of us were aware that blankly staring at hours of nightly eye candy has a negative impact on homework completion and therefore academic achievement. In other words - too much TV makes Jack a dull boy. Place that conclusion under the "DUH!" file.

I have another conclusion to put under the "DUH" file. No, it isn't the result of a "hey I could've figured that one out on my own" study. It came as a result of a "hey I should read God's Word to figure out the best way to live life" study.

Ready?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Peter is giving us an amazing piece of information that answers the huge question: 'What is life all about?' Notice he tells us what we are (a chosen people belonging to God etc.), which then leads to what we should do (declare God's praises). In other words, every part of our life should be an act of worship to God. Every moment of every hour of every day is a chance to tell God and show others how amazing He is. Every breath is breathing in the glory of God and breathing out His greatness. Every activity is actively trying to say 'thank you' to God and showing Him that it's all about Jesus and not about us.

Duh! He died for me - so why would you think I don't already know this?

Well, just like there are folks who didn't connect the dots with the whole television/homework thing, there are Christians who haven't connected the dots with the whole "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" thing. (1 Cor 6:19 -20). Why? Because the dots have been blurred by the blinding light of the me me me me me me me culture.

In fact, I see a parallel here. People in school finish homework and study so they can do well on the day of their test. Unfortunately, sometimes television takes control and what is truly important gets saved for the last minute, with less than great results. In the same way, Christians in the world worship God in everything so we can do well on the day of judgment. Unfortunately, sometimes the world takes control and what is truly eternal gets saved for the last minute with less than great results.

But that's where the parallel stops, because worship is not like homework. It's not a duty, it's the highest privilege in the universe. We GET to honor God with our lives, and believe me, it's the best way to live life. In fact, my research clearly shows that people who live life focused on themselves are the most miserable on earth. My research also shows that people who see life as one big-long-ongoing-continual-constant-unending act of worship are the most content in the universe.

Christians agree and God's Word gives absolute proof:

Christians who worship God in everything actually live their lives with joy and contentment!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

Christ bought our lives with His blood on the cross; therefore we get to live every moment as an act of worship.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

You should feel like you discovered the secret to life...because you have. The secret to life is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. What you have is a personal relationship with the God of the universe. Because of that, what you also have is a chance to say 'thank you' to Him every minute. Do you want what you have?

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Take some time and think through how you could make all your life an act of worship. What this means is that before you go down a line of thinking or follow a conversation or decide to watch or listen to something...first ask yourself these questions:

  • Does this honor God?
  • Does it violate the Bible?
  • Does it honor or dishonor my testimony as a Christian?

Can you imagine a world where every Christian thought through these issues every day? Believe me, God imagines it every day...so when will we start?