Christ and Going Big
Welcome to the Coffee-side Chat series on the Simple Not Shallow podcast. This podcast is for those who want to enrich their faith, and this series is doing so, one thoughtful sip at a time. My name is Charles. Over the past 9 years, I’ve come to see that there is no better way for friends to talk about Jesus and our faith than over a cup of coffee, or Coffee-side, you might say. So grab yourself some coffee and put on your thinking cap, cause here we go.
In this episode, the question we will explore to enrich our faith is: How does the phrase ‘go big or go home’ apply to our faith?
Well, last time we spoke about how being perfect means to be maturing, growing up, in terms of loving God and our neighbors. That got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if God helped us out with this by telling us how to do it?
I think I found where he did so a time or two. Let me offer them for your consideration.
Would it surprise you that the first place I’m going to suggest is in the Psalms?
I know, of all places, in the Psalms, the worshipful prayer book of the Bible. Go figure. And in the very first one, to be exact, in Psalm 1:2, 3. Why, it’s almost as if God is saying, ‘Before we get started here, there is something you need to know. There is only one way to grow up and mature in love: that is to walk on the pathway of the righteous.’ Which, as we found last time, enables us to learn the teachings of righteousness. He then tells us what we need to know to walk this path.
We must think on, muse upon, and ponder about God and his teachings day and night. What’s that old saying? You are what you think about. The more something occupies your thoughts, the more it becomes who you are. So, consistently focusing your thoughts on God seems to be a real way to grow up in his love. And not only does he tell us this, but he also tells us that not doing so, that everything else, belongs on the path of the not-so-much, the path of not growing. Or what the psalm calls, the way of the wicked in verses 4-6.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok, can we slow down there for just a moment? I think I’m following, more or less, but what has that to do with going big or going home?”
I know, I know, it’s a lot to consider. But first, let me tell you about the other place I found this instruction, and then we’ll get to going big or home.
The second place I found this is where Jesus tells us how to have his joy in us and how our joy is made complete. This is in John 15:11. That’s the passage about remaining in him and his love (John 15:1-16).
Now, since we must remain in him to know this joy, then if we are not remaining, we must be standing on the path of the joyless, which, looking back to Psalm 1, is the pathway of the not-so-much, the one of not growing. Right?
So, couldn’t we then say that, in terms of a relationship with Jesus, the idea is that you are all in or you are not in at all?
“So,” you ask, “this is the go big or go home moment?”
No. In fact, to be honest, there is no go-big-or-go-home moment. Though it is something similar.
Now, before you say, “Ok…but you said.”
Tell you what, let me briefly recap what we know, and then I’ll share what the moment actually is. Last time we saw that being perfect, as God is perfect, means growing up in loving him and our neighbors, and this time, that the only way to do this is by abiding in him.
Then (and here is the thing that is ‘something similar’), what the Bible seems to be saying to us is not to go big or go home. But, to go big; otherwise, we have never left home, to begin with.”
I know, I know, I know… at least I know what came to my mind after seeing this. First came the question: To be all in, does that mean everyone has to act the same, think the same, and worship the same? And second, must I be fully mature and grown up in Christ in order to have gone big? Cause, to be honest, I’m not quite there yet, does this mean I have not yet left home, never mind gone big?
The short answer to these is no. The longer answers are: To the first question, that would mean that we would all be robots. God didn’t make robots; he made people. Many different types of people. He did not make us carbon copies of each other, but as unique individuals. And unique individuals never do everything in the exact same way as other unique individuals. The answer to the second and third questions involves growth. Going big means choosing a relationship with God, committing to it, and then willfully following through and doing what it takes to grow that relationship. Growth takes time. Remaining in his love takes time; indeed, the need for time is in the word remain.
And as for our not having left home to begin with. No matter where you are in your growth, you have left home and ventured forth into his love. Did you notice that the definition of "going big" is the definition of "love"? To choose, to commit, and to do what it takes to follow through on both (for a more detailed explanation, I’ll link to a discussion of this definition on our website).
1 John 4:8 says that the person who does not love doesn’t even know God. How can you venture forth into the love of someone you do not know? You have to love in order to leave home.
Anyway. What do you think? If you don’t mind, let me know all about it in the comments section for this episode. Click on the link provided in the show notes for this episode. Copy and paste it if you need to. And once on this episode’s home page, scroll down to find the comment box and share away. Thank you for listening and for sharing. Also, please rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through the podcast service of your choice. Stitcher, Spotify, Apple podcasts, iheartradio, tune in, google podcasts, or whichever you prefer.
Well, until next time then. May you live a life of maturing in God and his love.