In Christ, for Christ, and to Christ in 2012

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life's busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
-CT Studd (1860-1931)

I got the idea that many of us, Christian people of faith, have built things or grown things or even birthed things in our lives that are not from God or were not conceived with God. We might be under an illusion or delusion that everything is from God, like things we were born with, or everything that comes our way. We might think any opportunity knocking is God. We might think that any choice we make to get into something or allow something into our lives has God in it. After all, God loves me and God is with me; so what I have and what I am into, God automatically approves of because God is full of love. No, this is not true, but is a delusion.

The truth is that we Christian people can be involved in all sorts of things that are not Christian or in-Christ or of-Christ, by-Christ, or from-Christ. God loves and blesses what his son does and what his children do in and for Christ.

I started out my thoughts on this by seeing this verse in Hosea: "I will also have no compassion on her children because they are children of prostitution", Hosea 2:4 (CEB). It has been understood that Hosea is a prophetic book, telling the story of a man whom God directs to marry a prostitute, have children with her, and care for her. This story is a living picture of God and Israel. In Christianity, Hosea has been also taught and preached as having principles that are applicable to all of God's children and things in it to learn about God's character.

In Hosea, we can learn that the context was a people of God who had given themselves over to idolatry. God shows that time and again, he would have mercy on his wayward people. Gomer, Hosea's wife, even conceived children through prostitution. Israel also conceived children, figuratively but actually; in it's prostitution with those other than God.

The Christian person or the person of faith can conceive things, give birth to things, raise things up like a father or mother, and watch them grow as they nurture them; and they might not be conceived in God or in Christ.

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last."

Life is short. Why not follow where God is leading, or grow what God has planted, or do what Christ is doing in 2012 and beyond?