One question that bears an answer is this:
How are we supposed to live life?
Now there are many different philosophical positions from which this question could be answered but as a Christian, who knows the Truth, our answer should be couched in Truth and not Carnal Minded rationalization.
The Greek Epicurians believed that life should be lived for pleasure.
The Greek Stoics believed that life should be lived to cultivate virtue, personal discipline, and emotional resilience.
One of the most obvious answers in western culture is "get what you can, can what you get and sit on your can" - the pursuit of material wealth, power and ease.
In Christian circles there is not a concensus but the following answer appear to be common:
➛ serving others
➛ preaching the Gospel
But let's step back for a moment and visualize the earth and mankind without its corruption by sin.
What did God have in mind? What was plan A?
God had already provided for plan B, and it did not appear to take long for plan A to be shelved without much experience for us to draw from. The history of humanity has been in the exercise of plan B.
But let's look at the available evidence in scripture.
And the Lord said, I will make man in my image, after my likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.  |
And the Lord blessed them, and the Lord said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. |
What we learn from this is that God made us
➛ like Himself
➛ to have dominion over the earth
➛ to procreate
Making us 'like Himself' has tremendous implications not the least of which is His ability to relate to us and us to relate to Him. This means He created us to be in a relationship with Him.
Giving us 'dominion over the earth' is also an amazing gift with unlimited potential. God gave us sovereignty over His creation to manage it and to use it as we see fit.
He commanded us 'to procreate' implying He wanted Adam and Eve to populate the earth with people like themselves (after his kind). Our ability to bring other humans into existence is mind-boggling.
Can we imagine what the earth would look like if every person was in relationship with God using their power to shape the earth and use its resources in a healthy way and we were raising our children to be in relationship with God and to understand their potential in Him?
Well, that is hard to imagine in light of what has actually come about in plan B. Consider abortion and how it comes under direct opposition to God's command. Consider the atheistic education system that seems more focused on perverting sexuality and engendering resentment than informing sudents of their being created in God's image and the implications for their potential.
Looking back at the history of Christianity we see several things that on one hand appear to be good but on the other hand just doesn't seem right.
➛ cloistering
➛ vows of silence
➛ vows of celibacy
➛ obsession with ministry
➛ building religious organizations
You can probably think of others. But here is what is wrong with those lifestyles:
➛ you cannot reach the world for Christ if you are cloistered
➛ there is the power of life in our words when they reflect His Word
➛ you cannot procreate if you are celibate
➛ if everyone is ministering, who are we ministering to?
➛ all organizations are an affront to freedom
I guess if we are to make the Lord happy we need to know what His expectation is for us.
➛ love Him with all we are
➛ love others as ourselves
➛ follow peace with all men
➛ do the work of an evangelist
➛ be in season and our of season
➛ pray without ceasing
➛ abstain from evil
Can we do those things (and others outlined in the New Testament) and live a 'normal life'?
"He is mentally imbalanced" or "He is a fanatic".
We have all heard these and similar descriptions applied to people by 'normal people'.
The problem with the term 'normal people' is that they define normal by numbers and not necessarily by Truth.
Rather than creating a 'one size fits all' ideology we should look at the varity that God created in the earth.
➛ bees are 'busy' all the time
➛ cows graze and then lounge
➛ flowers are pretty
➛ mountains are majestic
➛ the sun is constant
➛ the weather changes
The variety in God's creation does not prevent each of His creations from glorifying Him. As a matter of fact, the variety in and of itself glorifies God.
So, with respect to what a Christian looks like and how they live, there is not and should not be a single mold enforced upon them.
We are His workmanship and each of us are responsible to Him.
The common thread in humans is to be the presence and power and glory of God coupled with our acknowledgment of Him and our desire and efforts for others to come into fellowship with Him.
➛ For some, there is the foreign mission field.
➛ For some there is the local community.
➛ For some there is personal evangelim.
➛ For some there are the masses
➛ for some there is working
➛ for some there is giving
➛ For some there is loving
It is the transformation of our minds that is important. And it is that transformation that unifies as it is the result of the Spirit And Truth being in us.
We aught to glory in each other's testimony of Christ Jesus recognizing that Christ may like them just the way they are.
Preach and teach according to the gift He has given you and truth His Word and His Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit.
And therein is balance.