“I AM: WHOLE IN CHRIST”
When I was five years old, my parents read a book to me called “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” (here it is on Amazon).
The story goes that “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask for a straw. When he’s finished, he’ll ask for a napkin. Then, he’ll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milk mustache. When he looks in the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim…”
You get the idea.
When I was five years old, my parents read a book to me called “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”.
I didn’t realize it as a kid, but the story is profound. We live in a “One More Thing” world.
If we made $10,000 more per year, that would be enough. (Which we said when we made $20,000 less than we do now). If we buy that one piece of clothing we saw online, our wardrobe would be complete. We were happy with our trip to the mountains until we saw our friend’s European cruise. The moment we’re done with the big project at work, it’s time to move on to what’s next.
Every time, we believe that One More Thing” is all we need. But almost as soon as we have it in our hands, we begin dreaming of the One More Thing we need next.
EVERYTHING WE NEED
This week, we’ve uncovered a small portion of the vast treasure that is our identity in Christ.
Today we will discover that in Christ, we are whole. We discover this truth in Peter’s second letter:
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT)
THREE WAYS GOD MAKES US WHOLE
In the passage above, we discover three ways that God makes us whole.
First, we are promised that God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. This sentiment is echoed by King David in the famous Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need. (Psalm 23:1)
God does not promise to give us all we want (or even everything we deem essential). But he promises that a relationship with him makes us complete.
In Christ, we are whole.
Second, we learn that we walk in God’s plans for us by believing his promises to us.
Consider the promises we discussed this week: We’ve learned that because we are united with Christ, we are beloved sons and daughters, chosen before the world began to be holy and justified before God.
God does not promise to give us all we want (or even everything we deem essential). But he promises that a relationship with him makes us complete.
As we trust and build our life on these promises, we are empowered to walk in true godliness.
Finally, our human desires corrupt us and prevent us from engaging with the full life Jesus offers us. Our misguided wishes prevent us from believing the truth that we have everything we need in Christ.
I DESERVE IT
Early in our lives, we are indoctrinated with an entitlement mindset: Our desires are our birthright and we deserve everything we want.
Because of one-click online shopping, we can obtain everything our hearts desire in two days with free shipping.
- “I deserve a new car, even if I can’t afford it.”
- “I won’t be able to concentrate on anything else until I buy these new shoes.”
- “Being happy is my right, even if it means I sin a little bit.”
- “If I don’t have ____________, I can’t be whole.”
THE WAR OF COMPARISON
This belief system is inflamed by our growing addiction to comparison. With every social media post, we see that others have what we don’t. And we want it. We want it all.
The combination of unchecked desires and rampant comparison is destroying us. Peter writes Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11 ESV)
Because of one-click online shopping, we can obtain everything our hearts desire in two days with free shipping.
Our unhealthy desires aren’t just distractions or bad habits. According to Peter, they are attacking our souls – the way we connect with God.
ARE ALL DESIRES BAD?
C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (The Weight of Glory)
Lewis claims that our desires are not the problem. Trouble happens when we attempt to satisfy those desires with worldly trinkets instead of the beauty of Christ.
Our unhealthy desires aren’t just distractions or bad habits. They are attacking our souls – the way we connect with God.
Jesus confirmed Lewis’s thesis when he said “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15 NIV).
Jesus states that there is a way towards true life. But we won’t find it pursuing One More Thing.
HOW TO WALK IN WHOLENESS
We discover a weapon against the One More Thing mentality in the Psalms. David writes LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5-6 NIV)
David imagines his relationship with God as boundaries lines on a property. He surveys all that he has inherited through his journey with his Lord and proclaims that it is delightful.
Our challenge is to discover gratitude in a world of One More Thing.
Take a moment and consider your boundary lines. What has God given you? For some, he’s given us talent, health, relationships, family, comfort, and church. For all of us, God has given us himself, forgiveness through Jesus, and the continual companionship of the Spirit.
Our challenge is to discover gratitude in a world of One More Thing. Do we view the circumstances of our lives with delight, overwhelmed by the kindness of God? Or do we always wish things were just a bit better?
We are whole in Christ. Our boundary lines have, indeed, fallen in pleasant places.
NEXT STEPS
1: Read Mark 13.
2: Spend 10 minutes in Solitude, reflecting on 2 Peter 1:3-4. Pray using the P-R-A-Y method.
3: Continue to pray and plan to share your testimony with the 1-2 people in your life who don’t know Jesus over the next 2 weeks.
4: Text one friend one thing that you learned
Tomorrow: Week 5 – Day 5 – Hungering For God