TOD 11.08.07

In the last half century, the idea that the ultimate purpose of our lives is leisure and recreation has metastasized into a virtual axiom of the modern mindset. We see it when people declare they are “working for the weekend.” We see it in when people look past their current endeavors toward “retirement,” a mythical paradise of inactivity and whatever level of hedonism their 401k will permit. And, sadly, we see it in the Church as well.

It shows in how we think about heaven, but it has also poisoned our understanding of why God called us in Christ. Rather than saying that we are saved from hell so we can enjoy our lives, Ephesians 2 tells us that the reason God gave us this free gift was so that we should walk in the good works we were created for.

There is much work to be done according to God’s Will, and it’s hard to see how neglecting it will honor His purposes or Glorify Him. Being born again and being retired are opposites, not synonyms.