678live’s Blog

Every morning you wake up and go to work. Why? You go because you want something. Maybe you want to please your boss. Maybe you want to make a difference in the world. Maybe you just want a paycheck. No matter what your motivation, it is driven by some kind of desire. Desire is what makes the world go around. So often we come to church and feel guilty about our desire. We try to make up for having desire or find ways to set our desires aside. But what if we looked at faith in a whole new way? What if desire was actually the beginning of a much better life in Christ?

We are kicking off our new series titled “WANTED” tomorrow and it will last the month of April with the exception of Easter weekend.

WANTED: Week One – April 5, 2009
Every day, each one of us is driven by our desires. It’s the filter by which we process every choice. It’s how we decide what we will eat. It’s how we decide what we will watch. It’s how we decide how we will spend our time. Desire is a part of who we are. But doesn’t it seem like so much of Christianity is about ignoring our desires? Doesn’t it seem like if we follow Christ we have to consistently set aside our “wants”? Or could it be our desires are not something we have to ignore, but simply follow to the true fulfillment of what we want, the true longing of each of our hearts?

WANTED: Week Two – April 19, 2009
What you think you want isn’t what you really want. Have you heard that before? It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? After all, our desires can be really strong. They can even bring a few moments of satisfaction. But there is truth in that statement because beneath the desire is a question we rarely ask ourselves, “Why?” Why do I want what I want? What do I think this desire will give me? And perhaps, more importantly—will this desire lead me to where I really want to go?

WANTED: Week Three – April 26, 2009
Our wants seem so big, don’t they? We desire a lot of things—the latest gadgets, things that will make us feel more valued and loved. But the problem isn’t that our desires are so big—in fact, they aren’t big enough. Many times we are willing to settle for something less, something that only sort of satisfies us, instead of desiring something bigger and more fulfilling.

EXPERIENCE:
If you’re a kid, summer is filled with days of endless possibilities. But for us adults, summer is just another season. We still have to go to work. We still have to go to the grocery store. We still have to do laundry. Life doesn’t take a break, especially when you have a family.

But if you’re like many families, you want to find a way to connect with your kids this summer by taking a vacation. (And the option of walking away from work for a few days is attractive as well.) Whether it’s camping out at the lake, driving to the beach or just spending a day at an amusement park, there are times when each one of us needs to take a step back to recharge. There are times when we need to know that life is about more than the e-mails filling up our inbox or the voice mails on our cell phone.

Recently, I ran across the following article from a pastor in Canada on why unplugging ourselves from our overly connected world is so needed.

UNPLUGGING TO RECHARGE
By Carey Nieuwhof

Earlier today, I realized I am totally living in 2008. I was answering text messages, e-mail, Facebook messages, being instant messaged on Facebook, checking blog comments and twittering all at the same time. And the weird part is, I don’t mind it. It’s just how we communicate right now.  But tomorrow I start my vacation. We’ll drive Saturday to our favorite family vacation an hour away to a lodge we’ve gone to each summer for over ten years now. My youngest son, Sam, calls it his favorite place on earth next to home. We literally count down the days to this vacation on a whiteboard on our fridge. The whole family loves it.
One of the things that makes this “resort” we stay at so attractive is that it’s a throw back to an earlier time. No TV. No radio. No wireless routers. Cell service is okay, but not great. Twitter is a sound that chipmunks make. Facebook happens when you fall asleep reading and your head drops. They don’t even have regular mail there, let alone e-mail. We’re unplugging for a week together, and it’s fantastic.

I think we were wired both for rest and work, and over the years I’ve learned that to work best you have to play hard—that’s been a slow lesson for me. So what about you? What charges you? As the summer draws to a close, find some ways to not only recharge yourself, but also connect with your kids.