August 29, 2004

True Freedom

(Fixed Up a few things)

God longs so much for us to be free ... he's paid for our freedom, now its our choice to really live in it. To be all that he created us to be. We no longer have to be held back by the world. We have the freedom to live real life, to no longer settle for the false reality the world has sold us. God has created us to be so much more.
We were made to be more than average ... more than 'just ok' ... more than just getting by!Switchfoot sings about that in one of their songs, and movies like truman show and the matrix ... speak of making a decision to face our fears, choose life over false life (death), and living life to its fullest.

The things that God has for us do not make sense to the world, they are extreme to world, and they were extreme to me, because I had been shaped by the world. Instead of focusing on the world or myself, My focus is now on the most EXTREME person of all (at least to the world) JESUS!! he was extreme!!! and He was ridiculed for it! If I'm to be like Christ, then that would mean I would rediculed by the world too right!?... it says that in the Bible.

Ouch I never liked that!! it made me squirm and I would shrug it off, because I wasn't being persecuted for Christ. OK maybe one dayin the future I would be, but at the time I was doing just fine being accepted by the everyone, the world and the church. Though the time came when I got sick of being just average. And decided to take a risk and trust that God really did have something better, that I couldn't hold onto the things of the world and the things of God, I had the freedom to let go ... to live real life... to live like Christ.

To be honest I didn't think I would ever be to do extreme things for God, to see the impossible happen, to walk everyday trusting in God instead of myself. I didn't feel like I was able, that I was good enough ... I hadn't really belived that God's love for me overcame all of my weaknesses!
When I started accepting God's extreme love for me, thats when things starting changing. When impossible became possible. When what the great things God had for me became reality!

It doesn't matter how you look or feel ... whether you have lots of friends or none, whether you feel like you're able to do great things or you feel like you can't do anything. God has an 'extreme' life for us all to live, one that is greater than we had ever imagined.

Extreme living begins when we receive extreme love, when we realize that we are not worthy to be loved yet we are loved, when we believe we can't do anything, but we can do everything. Its something I don't get a grasp on by just hearing or reading about, its something I had to meditate on and that I had to receive ... to believe even though it doesn't make sense. I know I'm not able, but I know I will do because God will do it. And I'm not going to say in 10 years, I'll have the faith to raise the dead, or see a blind man healed ... I'm just going to live life as God intended not limited by this world, to live by the power of Jesus. Being absolutely weak, So God can make me strong. If you want to see how the paradoxs of God work, you can't just think about them you got to live them.

I was once even scared of the word 'extreme' but now I know thats what God has called me too, and you too :). It doesn't mean to throw away 'balance' but it does mean to re-evaluate what you are balancing. Are you balancing the things of the world with the things of God. YES I DID THAT! Instead throw away the things of the world, and be extreme the world, don't compromise, don't be just ok. Find your balance and wholeness in Christ ... and be EXTREME! for Christ

In His EXTREME love =)
Tom

4 comments:

Shane said...

Hey tom,

This is honestly a great post! Two point that really got me were:

Are you balancing the things of the world with the things of God.

Be balanced - be whole in Christ ... and be EXTREME!
Balance is really God balanced with God when you think about it. Why would God say this is how to be balanced - Dont get to over the top with trusting me, so balance it out with abit of sin - maybe white lies or try abit of lust. Then you will be balanced.

God wants us to put to death sin in our lives, and live exactly how Jesus did. Balance may = passion for God's Holiness and for Un-holy people.

May God make us EXTREME for Him!

Tom said...

aah too right!!

If I'm ever scared of becoming too extreme, I'll go back to that whether I'm extreme to the world or to God. (Along with whether I'm balanced to the world or to God).

EXTREME TO THE WORLD, AND BALANCED TO GOD

Anonymous said...

Hey Thomas,
You get a good amen from me!
Love you,
Mum

Anonymous said...

Awesome words- God's using you to speak His wisdom. We always seem to fear the things that will free us from that fear- like focussing solely on God.
'Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.'Romans 12:2 (MSG)
Love ya so much bro. Your family are blessed by your journey to EXTREMEism. xoxo camz