What Does Easter mean for You?

This is a sad observation, and I hope I'm completely off base, but I'm almost certain that our culture is trending towards this incredibly disappointing habit. How many people know that we're currently in the season of Lent? Now, I'm going to bet that many people don't even know what that is, but that's not even the problem I'm seeing. Lent has a role in this problem, but I think the troubling thing is the lack of celebration from the worldwide church for the Easter season. I actually don't think the church is doing too much wrong, as every church I know is trying all they can to draw attention to the season. But when I compare individual's excitement to their behaviour during the Christmas season, you see a massive discrepancy that shouldn't exist. That doesn't mean at all we should lower the excitement around Christmas, but rather that we should raise the excitement around Easter.

Without Easter, there is no celebration around Christmas. The whole idea of God becoming a man as a baby would be pointless, and meaningless. Easter is the basis of our faith, the singular most important action in history. It is the proof of our religion, it is the basis on how we know God, it is the signal of security of our future. Really, everything about life, and eternity, can be tied to the events of Easter weekend. With all that in mind, how can we not celebrate Easter even more?

Death

Wikipedia

I recently started watching Morgan Freeman's series The Story of God, which is a National Geographic production. I've only gotten through the first episode, but I've already been struck into deep thought. The first episode focused on the different world religion's perspectives on the afterlife. With any National Geographic series, you always know you're going to get stunning video work, and this series is no different, with some amazing shots of countries around the world, including some vital religious landmarks. Rather then just talking about the different perspectives, actually seeing some evidence about the different theories really helps make an impression.

Anyways, watching this episode sparked a weird thought; how often do we think about death? I know that sounds slightly morbid, but I truly mean it as a serious question. When I was watching this episode, one thing stuck with me over and over again; how many people go through life never actually thinking about what more there could be? I actually think everyone has at least one moment in their life where they are faced with this question, and the majority of people will wrestle with it more than once. There's some part of our being that strives for something else, that something beyond. Now, the way we answer that differs majorly. Some choose to completely ignore it, while others say life goes on and on, while even others points to a God dictating the afterlife.

The interesting thing is that ultimately, whatever you belief about the after life, it influences the way you act during this life. Morgan Freeman does a decent job in this series to remain as unbiased as possible, and give you a balanced look at all the possible scenarios provided by the many different world religions. The one thing that struck me throughout his study into each of the religion's ideas about life after death was that their beliefs shaped their lives today. For instance, those who don't care about the after life simply enjoy life today. Whereas those that believe in reincarnation live their whole lives striving for good deeds. As for Christians, we live our lives striving to draw closer to God, because we believe eternity in heaven is simply that; living with God. That's what makes it so special!

The challenge is I guess, really take a look at your life and see if it reveals what you believe about the after life. And if it doesn't, you might have some changes you have to make.

As a side note, I'm really enjoying this video series, especially the information and visual look into other people's religions. This doesn't mean at all that I'm not confident in my own beliefs. However, there are two reasons why I think it is good to study other religions; you can learn from other people and how they practice their faith, and you can also see the mindset of the world around you.

All to God

One thing I really struggle with, and sometimes without realizing it, is giving everything to God. I think this is actually one of the hardest things to do, even though it might sound like the easiest. However, I believe once you get into a routine, this becomes second nature, and really, improves every aspect of your life.

I really do struggle with this though (although I've become much better). Especially when it comes to giving thanks, or even giving glory to God. A lot of times, I get sucked into this atmosphere of focusing on what I'm doing, and how my successes are to do with what I've done.

An example is from a few years ago when I travelled to a church to play guitar with a worship team leading there. I really thought I was something special to be asked to join this team. I thought it was a testament to my skill, to the fact that I was a pretty good guitar player. So my whole attitude going into the service was to act as a professional, really pretending that I was a star. I never had a single thought about the people coming through the doors, or even the work that God would do through the ministry of music.

As soon as I walked through the doors of this church, I was struck by the presence of God. The church was an older church, with wooden pews, stained glass windows, a balcony of seats, and an immense painting from floor to ceiling. At first it was the old beauty of the church that shocked me, but as I thought about it, I really started to feel something stirring within myself. The beauty of the church just reminded me of the beauty of God's work. Who was I to think I had even done this small thing when this beautiful building with an incredible history brought family after family, person after person into its midst every week to gather to share in the same faith that other churches worldwide are celebrating at that exact same time?

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 ESV

And that's the thing. No matter what we do, no matter how far we go, no matter our successes, nothing will match what God has done for us, and for this world. We can't even start to compare our works to God's, because there is nothing to compare! This might sound depressing, but really, it should be inspiring.

First, we should be inspired by all that God has done for us, and through us. If you can't see Him at work around you, then you aren't looking closely enough. Secondly, we should want to continue to succeed in life because it means that God is succeeding through us. Success is by no means a bad thing. In fact, it can be an incredibly useful tool of evangelism, amongst other things. But the key is to do everything with the right mindset. And that's the mindset of constantly looking for God in this world.