Movies, entertainment, celebrity culture, video games, digital media and social networks are often used to escape from reality. The goal of this 4-part series is to consider how to escape to the reality that comes in knowing Jesus.
Part 4 of #EscapeToReality
THE GAMIFICATION OF LIFE
I recently learnt about an emerging trend called the gamification of life. It’s basically turning life into a game complete with points, incentives and levels. 1 point for cleaning your teeth. 5 points for taking rubbish out. 10 points for inbox zero. 20 points for doing your most dreaded tasks. After a certain number of points, you can reward yourself or somehow move onto the next level.
From the examples I’ve read online, it looks like a useful way to get things done!
Using little incentives is not just for those “gamifying” their life, we use all sorts of little incentives in different ways. Maybe if you complete a certain amount of study you’ll get to go for a surf. Or if you achieve this goal, you’ll treat yourself to something special.
When it comes to the Christian life, followers of Jesus don’t need to create little incentives and rewards. There is a bigger incentive and motivation.
DO NOT LOSE HEART
In 2 Corinthians 4 the big goal of the Christian life is to “not lose heart”. It’s the idea of preserving until the end in the Christian life. Like a runner lasting to the end of the race, the Christian is to keep going and keep trusting Jesus.
In this series ‘Escape to reality’ I have argued that movies, entertainment, celebrity culture, video games, digital media and social networks are often used to escape from reality.
My biggest goal has been to show that we all need to escape to the reality that comes in knowing Jesus.
This passage one of best “escape to reality” passages in bible. It will help us to see the forest from the trees.
It’s easy to get caught up on the here and now. We are so easily distracted by the things in front of us: the smartphone, gaming console, the guy or girl you’re interested in. But we fail to see the bigger picture of eternity.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 will help us to see the big picture and give us the ultimate level-up.
There are three things that we see will give us the persecutive so that we will not lose heart.
1. OUTSIDE VS. INSIDE
The first reason to not lose heart is shown through a comparison between the outer-self and the inner-self.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
The outer-self, the Old Self, that belongs to this world, that is riddled by sin is wasting away
The inner-self, the New Self, that belongs to the world to come, is being made more and more like Jesus and is being renewed.
We look forward to that inner work that God is doing in us.
But we also look back to the work that God has already done:
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. (2 Corinthians 4:13-14)
Jesus died on the cross for our sin. He was raised from the dead. We will be raised from the dead if we (v13) have faith in Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our resurrection.
We look back to what God has done and look forward to what God is doing in us.
So even when you start getting old and wrinkly, that’s okay because inwardly you’re being renewed. Each day Christians are becoming more like Jesus.
In part 1, #SELFIES, I spoke about how much we focus on external things: appearance; beauty; ripped abs; making much of self; looking for likes online. But this is futile and focusing on the wrong thing!
Our identity isn’t in those external things, our identity is to be found in being made and saved by Christ!!
It sucks that we waste away, but for the Christian our hope is in the internal makeover that Jesus is doing in us.
You are getting an internal makeover!
LEVEL-UP?
We don’t need false artificial incentives, we keep shooting for inward renewal. Don’t lose heart know that Jesus is making you new!
2. TROUBLE vs GLORY
The second reason to not lose heart is shown through a comparison between the troubles we face and the glory to come.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Troubles in this life are light and momentary compared to the glory that is to come. Those troubles even help to prepare us for that glory all the more.
Our troubles weigh 50 grams compared to the glory that weighs 50,000 tonnes!
What is the glory? It’s the beauty, wonder, magnificence and splendour of God. And Christians get to share in that!!
All of us will undergo troubles, hardship and grief in this life. You may not have been through much yet, but you will. That’s just part of living in a broken world. Personal struggles. Depression. Anxiety. Addiction. Sick family members. Death.
When, not if, but when you undergo trouble, hardship and grief in this world is one of the things that prepares all the more for glory
We are to long and hunger all the more to stand in glory. To share in Jesus’ beauty. To see his face. To have his nail-pierced hands wipe our crying eyes!
In part 3, The Fight, we considered all sorts of fantasy fights or fighting for acknowledgement.
We should be fighting to see that our troubles are temporary and fighting to hope all the more in that massive weight of glory that is to come in Jesus.
LEVEL-UP?
You’ve gotta go through the hard stuff. Keep going. Don’t lose heart know that something better, infinitely better is coming!
3. TEMPORARY vs ETERNAL
The third reason to not lose heart is shown through a comparison between what is temporary and what is eternal.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Remember the things we see here and now, will not last. The troubles, the grief, hobbies, entertainment, social media profile. These things are temporary. To focus all our attention on these things is to fail to see big picture!
This life is temporary. So what?
Some conclude #YOLO. You Only Live Once. So go and do dumb stuff, photograph it and then share it online. Really?
No! If you only live once, #DWYL. Don’t Waste Your Life! It’s a short life. But eternity is a long time.
Russell Crowe’s character in Gladiator said,
What we do in this life, echoes into eternity
That’s true. And so we fix our eyes on the thing that will last and go on into eternity.
Jonathan Edwards goes a step further with this short prayer,
Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs!
What are the things of eternity that we should invest in? It’s the things of Jesus. Invest your time in loving Jesus. Invest your time in love Jesus’ people. Invest your time in love Jesus’ world with the message of Jesus.
In part 2, Bread and Circuses, we saw how easily good food and good fun can distract us from eternity!
Perhaps you’re reading this and you are distracted form eternity. Perhaps at the moment you are solely living only for the temporary. The tragic news is that if you continue like that, you’ll rightly spend eternity judged by God for your sin.
Your life now is a pixel on the screen of eternity! Where will you spend eternity?
Turn to Jesus! Put your trust in him. Live forgiven by God, in relationship with God, in the new creation as a new creation!
LEVEL-UP?
We don’t need temporary pleasures that bring only momentary satisfaction. Lift your gaze and see the forest from the trees. See the eternal from the temporary. Keep your eyes on that ultimate prize of heaven, eternity, paradise! Don’t lose heart know that Jesus is making you new!
ESCAPE TO REALITY
Life isn’t a game. It’s not about getting the best score on COD. It’s not about temporary incentives. The only level up the Christian needs is to see that inwardly we’re being renewed, there is glory to come and eternity is our goal.
Keep one eye looking back to the cross and the other eye looking forward to eternity. That’s the big picture we so desperately need to help us escape to reality.
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POSTS IN THIS SERIES: #SELFIES; BREAD & CIRCUSES; THE FIGHT; LEVEL-UP.