Christ is Life

Today I went on a run. I do my best (and worst)thinking when I am running. After I got bit in the butt by a huge german shepherd (and after I decided to not run back and kill it with my bare hands) I had a thought.

I like girls (this part wasn't new). I think that's the way the Lord made guys. He created us to be in relationship with the opposite sex. Both sexes are made equally in His image, and both reflect unique aspects of the godhead that the other does not. That image is the only goodness that is found in humanity. Now I also think it would be fair to say that I am not attracted to the wickedness, pride, selfishness and whatever other sin is found in each person but rather glimmer of the image of God that each person resembles. Because lets be honest we all suck, and any goodness, or anything attractive in humanity is just a faint glimpse of a greater goodness found in Christ.

Now we have all either experienced the joy and blessing of a relationship with the opposite sex, or at least the desire for that. Nobody would deny that relationships are good. However the difference between the goodness found Christ and that found in a relationship is as great a difference as that which is between the creator and his creation. How much greater is Christ than man? How much more glorious is the messiah than fallen humanity? The answer is so huge that the question can not even be fully answered. The answer to that question is the same as the difference between the goodness in a relationship v.s. the goodness found in Christ.

So why would we pursue something that was only faint distorted image of something far greater? What Olympian the week before the games would tell his home country he had been training for second, and was aiming for second place? Obviously second place would be great, but all the greatness of a silver and more would be realized in the gold. We are called to run the race with endurance, to fix our eyes on the prize, and our hope on the glory to be revealed at the end of the age. Why do we take a pit stop for a decade to pursue marriage putting our service to Christ on hold? Relationships are great, but he is infinitely greater. Lets seek his kingdom and all these things will be added. Christ is life, Christ is satisfying, Christ is more than everything we could want or need.

Thats what I was thinking as my butt was bleeding through the teeth marks of a german shepherd.

oh and PS I am not saying that anything God made (relationships careers posessions or whatever) has to be pursued or achieved at the expense of the kingdom. It just seems like sometimes it is. especially at my age for relationships. so lets just be careful to keep the main thing the main thing thats all.