The message of Christ: you can have an incredible life now, knowing you’ll live in heaven someday. Here’s a guide to getting it…
The Principle: Upgrade to the Cross OS. We live in a world of competing operating systems (OS), with the biggest competition being between the OS of God and the OS of the world. The world’s OS seeks to provide the best life by the most logical means: invest all focus on taking care of self, and those things most important to self. Makes sense. But it doesn’t work for the long haul. Eventually, the self-absorption of the world’s OS kills relationships, environments, and does much more harm than good – Bernie Madoff, anyone?
God’s OS, what I’m calling the Cross OS is counter-intuitive. Instead of self-preservation as the main goal, the Cross OS calls us to give ourselves away - first, to God, trusting that God will guide us better than we can guide ourselves, and secondly to others. This is what Jesus meant when he reiterated the two greatest commandments to love God with all you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This giving yourself away sounds like the stupidest way to achieve the best of life, but, in fact, it is the only way that works. Ironically, the best way we can take care of ourselves and what we value is to abandon it into God’s hands, instead of acting like God and handling everything ourselves (see Luke 9:23-27).
The Practice: Mindfulness/Consciousness/Attention/Focus. All of these words simply refer to the same thing: live your life walking humbly with God, asking God to guide you, trusting God’s love for you even more than your love for yourself. Note: this is a conscious, daily, life-long decision – because we have a tendency to revert back to the world OS (Luke 8:4-18).
The Principle: Renew Your Mind. Because the Cross OS is fundamentally different from the world’s, expect a learning curve. God wants to transform you by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) over the course of your life. BTW – if you’re bored as a God follower, you’ve missed something, because God has great, new stuff around every corner, and it’s all good.
The Practice: Make Room for Learning. The best practice that has made a difference in the lives of millions of Christians is daily Bible reading. This may be the single greatest difference between God followers who say their life rocks and those who say their life is just okay. My advice: begin with the New Testament, and don’t rush. It’s not a race. While I think it’s a good practice to try to read through the Bible every year, you’re wise to start small and slow – read for 10-15 minutes, and jot down your thoughts in a journal. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Also, you can only go so far on your own. Connect with a group of people who are also growing as Jesus followers, and help each other out.
The Principle: Heart Surgery. From the very beginning, God has desired to have an intimate, loving, personal relationship with everybody. God came in the person of Jesus as the greatest proof of this truth. But it’s hard to walk with God if we’re not with God – even more if our heart is going in a different direction. If, however, you choose to love the things God loves, your intimacy with God will go higher and deeper than you can imagine.
The Practice: Let Love be a Verb. Realize that love is an action and not just a feeling. Learn about what God loves, and start loving like God. Soon, your heart will begin to become more aligned with God’s, and you will see God work in ways you could not see before. As a result, your feelings of love will increase significantly as you experience God at work. Read Psalm 51 slowly and carefully and see what happens. Memorize Psalm 139:23-24, pray it daily, and fasten your seat belt!
The Principle: Go! No matter where you travel throughout the world, a rendition of the crosswalk figure appears at major intersections. Everybody knows what message is communicated when that little guy light up: GO! Jesus gave this command to his first followers (Mt. 28:18-20), and the command extends to us. We are to go into the world, following God as we do the things of God so that the world and its people might come to experience the freedom and life God offers.
The Practice: Go! As soon as you have decided to adopt the Cross OS – which means you want to do your life with God with God leading you – you’ve got enough to get going. Don’t wait until someday. Ask God what God wants you to do that day, and go for it! Too fuzzy? Then read the Bible, and as you learn about what Jesus dif, follow in his footsteps, because his are the footsteps of God. And do it together, with other people. Check out Luke 9:23-27.
The Principle: Unclean Hands. The hands of the people in churches across our nation are way, way too clean. This same reality ticked off Jesus in the first century, and it ticks him off still! Jesus’ hands were dirtied as he reached out and touched those who needed God’s love most. People with disease. People with dirty histories. People with stained minds and hearts. Jesus lived, died, and lived again with unclean hands.
The Practice: Get Your Hands Dirty. We are called to lovingly serve God’s world and her people. Don’t take the Howie Mandel, germophobic route. You’ll never get past infantile immaturity in your relationship with God until you get some skin in the game. And you’ll never experience the incredible, abundant life God has for you, either. See examples: John 8:1-11; Luke 8:40-56; Luke 7:1-10; Luke 17:11-19.
Final Note: You Are Not Alone. There are probably hundreds of CrossWalk signs throughout this small city, and millions throughout the world (be sure to thank them for the free advertising!). Every time you see a CrossWalk sign at an intersection, remember three things. First, you are not alone, so don’t try to go it alone. Second, remember what a CrossWalker is supposed to look like, and go for it. Third, pray for your church, because our fun-but-tough-job is to help you develop into fully devoted followers of Jesus – The CrossWalker.
The Principle: Upgrade to the Cross OS. We live in a world of competing operating systems (OS), with the biggest competition being between the OS of God and the OS of the world. The world’s OS seeks to provide the best life by the most logical means: invest all focus on taking care of self, and those things most important to self. Makes sense. But it doesn’t work for the long haul. Eventually, the self-absorption of the world’s OS kills relationships, environments, and does much more harm than good – Bernie Madoff, anyone?
God’s OS, what I’m calling the Cross OS is counter-intuitive. Instead of self-preservation as the main goal, the Cross OS calls us to give ourselves away - first, to God, trusting that God will guide us better than we can guide ourselves, and secondly to others. This is what Jesus meant when he reiterated the two greatest commandments to love God with all you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This giving yourself away sounds like the stupidest way to achieve the best of life, but, in fact, it is the only way that works. Ironically, the best way we can take care of ourselves and what we value is to abandon it into God’s hands, instead of acting like God and handling everything ourselves (see Luke 9:23-27).
The Practice: Mindfulness/Consciousness/Attention/Focus. All of these words simply refer to the same thing: live your life walking humbly with God, asking God to guide you, trusting God’s love for you even more than your love for yourself. Note: this is a conscious, daily, life-long decision – because we have a tendency to revert back to the world OS (Luke 8:4-18).
The Principle: Renew Your Mind. Because the Cross OS is fundamentally different from the world’s, expect a learning curve. God wants to transform you by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) over the course of your life. BTW – if you’re bored as a God follower, you’ve missed something, because God has great, new stuff around every corner, and it’s all good.
The Practice: Make Room for Learning. The best practice that has made a difference in the lives of millions of Christians is daily Bible reading. This may be the single greatest difference between God followers who say their life rocks and those who say their life is just okay. My advice: begin with the New Testament, and don’t rush. It’s not a race. While I think it’s a good practice to try to read through the Bible every year, you’re wise to start small and slow – read for 10-15 minutes, and jot down your thoughts in a journal. You will be amazed at the difference it makes. Also, you can only go so far on your own. Connect with a group of people who are also growing as Jesus followers, and help each other out.
The Principle: Heart Surgery. From the very beginning, God has desired to have an intimate, loving, personal relationship with everybody. God came in the person of Jesus as the greatest proof of this truth. But it’s hard to walk with God if we’re not with God – even more if our heart is going in a different direction. If, however, you choose to love the things God loves, your intimacy with God will go higher and deeper than you can imagine.
The Practice: Let Love be a Verb. Realize that love is an action and not just a feeling. Learn about what God loves, and start loving like God. Soon, your heart will begin to become more aligned with God’s, and you will see God work in ways you could not see before. As a result, your feelings of love will increase significantly as you experience God at work. Read Psalm 51 slowly and carefully and see what happens. Memorize Psalm 139:23-24, pray it daily, and fasten your seat belt!
The Principle: Go! No matter where you travel throughout the world, a rendition of the crosswalk figure appears at major intersections. Everybody knows what message is communicated when that little guy light up: GO! Jesus gave this command to his first followers (Mt. 28:18-20), and the command extends to us. We are to go into the world, following God as we do the things of God so that the world and its people might come to experience the freedom and life God offers.
The Practice: Go! As soon as you have decided to adopt the Cross OS – which means you want to do your life with God with God leading you – you’ve got enough to get going. Don’t wait until someday. Ask God what God wants you to do that day, and go for it! Too fuzzy? Then read the Bible, and as you learn about what Jesus dif, follow in his footsteps, because his are the footsteps of God. And do it together, with other people. Check out Luke 9:23-27.
The Principle: Unclean Hands. The hands of the people in churches across our nation are way, way too clean. This same reality ticked off Jesus in the first century, and it ticks him off still! Jesus’ hands were dirtied as he reached out and touched those who needed God’s love most. People with disease. People with dirty histories. People with stained minds and hearts. Jesus lived, died, and lived again with unclean hands.
The Practice: Get Your Hands Dirty. We are called to lovingly serve God’s world and her people. Don’t take the Howie Mandel, germophobic route. You’ll never get past infantile immaturity in your relationship with God until you get some skin in the game. And you’ll never experience the incredible, abundant life God has for you, either. See examples: John 8:1-11; Luke 8:40-56; Luke 7:1-10; Luke 17:11-19.
Final Note: You Are Not Alone. There are probably hundreds of CrossWalk signs throughout this small city, and millions throughout the world (be sure to thank them for the free advertising!). Every time you see a CrossWalk sign at an intersection, remember three things. First, you are not alone, so don’t try to go it alone. Second, remember what a CrossWalker is supposed to look like, and go for it. Third, pray for your church, because our fun-but-tough-job is to help you develop into fully devoted followers of Jesus – The CrossWalker.
May God
the source of hope
fill you completely
with joy and peace
because you trust in him
Then you will overflow
with confident hope
through the power
of the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13
the source of hope
fill you completely
with joy and peace
because you trust in him
Then you will overflow
with confident hope
through the power
of the Holy Spirit
Romans 15:13
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