American culture defines the good life as one that contains maximal amounts of pleasure and minimal amounts of pain. For the younger generation, this usually looks like sex, drinking, drugs, etc. A reason this lifestyle is so prevalent among the younger generation is they feel a need to enjoy their youth before they must “settle down.” Religion, by consequence, gets pushed to the back burner because it is too constricting. Religion, then, becomes a thing for old people who have more time on their hands and who will enjoy the rigid and restricted lifestyle. But what if America has not understood what the good life really is? What if the good life is found in the Christianity?
How does someone live a joyful, content, and enriching life? Everyone wants fulfillment and satisfaction but what lifestyle will lead to this? As previously mentioned, the Bible is sometimes seen as the world’s biggest rulebook, but this is far from the truth. While there are some laws for how to live, it is more accurate to say the Bible tells the story of how God interacts with and saves humanity from sin. This story culminates in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ who made forgiveness available to everyone. Alongside this, Scripture does contain commands for how to live a fruitful life. Christians respect these commands because if God created human beings, then he must know what is best for us. In fact, he would know even better than people do what is best for humanity. For example, think of the relationship between a parent and a child. Parents know what is best for their children but sometimes kids believe they know what is best for themselves. Take a child, for example, who desires to drop out of middle school because they do not enjoy it. A good parent will not let them do this since education is fundamental to a successful life. So, if parents know what is best for their children, think of how much more the all-knowing and eternal God knows what is best for humanity. Christianity is not a straitjacket that is going to ruin all your fun. Instead, Christianity leads to the good life.
Another common misconception about the Christian life is that it is boring and only for the older generation, but this could not be further from the truth. The Christian life is passionate and deeply enriching. One reason it is so passionate is because all Christians are enrolled in a spiritual war. Jesus Christ commanded that everyone who believes in him must live to share the good news of the gospel. Unfortunately, this is exactly the opposite of what Satan wants. Therefore, Christians live their whole lives waging war against the devil by proclaiming the saving name of Jesus to everyone. So, Christians are not supposed to be boring tranquil people. Instead, they are called to be passionate followers of Christ.
The Christian life is the good life. It has been crafted by a good and loving God who knows what is best for his people. It is not boring. Rather, the Christian life is a passionate one that is lived on mission for the sake of the gospel and it deserves your attention today.
Written by Luke Radtke