–This was originally prepared as an introductory talk for North American CFO, Labor Day weekend 2008, but it’s themes are applicable to our daily life as well.– you should all come to CFO sometime: checkout www.cfoyouth.org for more info!
You are here for a reason.
Maybe you think you’re here because your mom made you come, maybe your grandpa thought it’d be good for you to come, maybe a friend said “you have to come!” or, maybe you’re here because you’re ready and want to be here.
Whatever your reason for being here, the Lord has a bigger reason. The Lord already planned for you to be here and has plans to use this weekend for His glory to grow you in Him and to make a change in your lives, in your communities, and in this world, for His kingdom.
A lot of us are coming into this week feeling pretty tired, exhausted, worn-out, wounded, discouraged, at the end of ourselves. Some of us have also come into this week already on the highest mountain we’ve ever been on and we wonder how things could possibly get better from here. We’re so excited and ready! Some of us are neutral. We’re tired of being sad and depressed but we’re not ready to be jumping up and down for joy either.
What about you? Where are you right now?
Have you even reflected about your faith recently? Are you ready for a weekend away to focus on Christ?
We’ve all seen political campaign promises, especially this time of year. And, “I promise you, if you vote for me, this will be your best weekend ever!!” (And, I’m pretty convinced that it could be ☺)
However, let’s make this retreat more than simply a promise or a pledge. Let’s not just use this week to make a promise to God that we’ll “live better once we get home.” We don’t just want to talk about it. As the scripture says, “Don’t just talk about the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” We don’t want our desire to fade as the next fad takes over. We really want to live our lives for Christ!! As the theme of this weekend says, let’s “Live Like It!”
You were brought here for a purpose. The Lord will use this week for His glory!!
CFO is an opportunity live in God’s kingdom, here and now. This is a time away to experience and worship Christ. To learn more about walking with Him, to love Him, to learn about Him and to worship Him. We have the opportunity to LIVE LIKE IT!
Throughout the entire weekend there are times set aside to breathe in and breathe out. We are forming our lives for Christ and living for Him, a time of intentional re-formation. Being willing to die for that faith AND live for that faith.
This theme was intentionally chosen to reflect the present tense. It’s often easier for us to look at the past and be convinced that our best years have already come. Or, to only look to the future and think, I’ll have officially “arrived” as soon as I graduate from High School. Or, as soon as I go to college. Or, perhaps we’ll have truly arrived, as soon as we graduate from college. Or, maybe we’ll finally be where we want to be as soon as we land our dream job? Maybe we’ll be content when we get married? Or, maybe we’ll finally arrive when we have kids of our own. Maybe we’ll be content once we’ve been in our jobs for 30 years. Or, maybe it’ll be when we retire.
Or, maybe we’ll never be content. That is, we’ll never be content if we keep on focusing on what this world says we need for contentment.
Or, maybe, just maybe, it’s not about being content or having “arrived.” It’s about Christ and Him crucified. A stumbling block to those who don’t understand and foolishness to those who’ve denied Him.
The Lord is faithful, even when the world is faithless. The Lord is faithful, even when our friends are faithless. The Lord is faithful, even when our families are faithless. The Lord is faithful, even when we are faithless.
“It’s just that every generation has to ask the difficult questions of what it means to be a Christian here and now, in this place, at this time.” — Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis
So, what does that mean for CFO? What does it mean for your daily life? WHY are you here?
