We lived on a cul-de-sac! We had good neighbors, except for one grouch on the corner. Traffic was minimal and a sign posted saying 'there was no outlet' gave us a life that was rather peaceful.
But in the Christian life, "no outlet" is undesirable. Like a pond of water, "no outlet" means stagnation. 'Christian cul-de-sac living' can be boring with nothing new coming through. God desires to "flow" through the believer's life. He desires that His life, love and light come not only to us, but through us. If it doesn't we become entrenched in our thinking and way of life and the stench of a stagnant life becomes most unattractive.
And so, the outlets of obedience, sharing, giving, serving and doing for others are essential to a vibrant Christian life. This is so, unless we are comfortable remaining in a status-quo kind of existence.
Those upon whom God has bestowed much, of such much is required. We must act upon the knowledge we have in order to receive more insights and understanding. If we give, we receive. "Give and it shall be given to you." If we obey we enjoy a deeper appreciation of truth and begin to understand more. Spurgeon put it this way: "Many a man becomes empty-handed because he does not know the art of distribution." So, pass it on. Share. Let the life of God flow.
Responding to truth by living it out we ready ourselves for more truth which will then dynamically pulsate through us. In such living God is glorified and known to be alive. And, we too are radiant and know more fully the filling of the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure - pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38). The 'THEY' in the verse are the onlookers. When we give, they see the love of God and may very well return the love to us. It becomes contagious. All this, let alone the fact our God is so pleased with such living that He bestows more!
So, get out of the cul-de-sac of 'same old, same old' Christian experience and let His life flow. Add 'obedience' to the Word while living for Jesus instead of 'self' and we're on our way.
- dick christen
