One truth we each experience every day in American Culture is that the country has deteriorated rapidly.  Americans are divided and polarized.  George Barna’s annual American Worldview survey shows a downward trajectory of faith, hope, love, and truth – both in the Church and Culture.  Most agree we are headed for crisis.  Some say it’s a financial crisis.  Some say the return of Christ is near.  Others say we are just repeating a generational cycle.  Whatever your conviction of the future, what’s the crisis ready TMP Christian focus RIGHT NOW?

Bob’s Point of View this week was compelling.  Did you miss it?  The punch line: “May we live like we’re dying!”  Bob’s clarion call: don’t trade the time you’ve been given for something that’s not truly worth dying for.  In a season of crisis, the prepared are focused on Christlikeness, who – in Bob’s words- ‘carefully calculated the cost to Him that salvation for the planet would require.

What are you dying for?  For Jesus, it was the salvation of the planet.  How big is your heavenly prize?  How would you practically describe it?

Let me give you a target: it’s time to love the hell out of people.  Read it as: ‘die for others.’ Want to be ready for the impending crisis?  Then get really good at loving people – a measurement of Christlikeness. 

How? What’s the strategy?

In Session 2 of The Master’s Program, we get loaded with Relational Fitness strategies.  When is the last time you re-visited this content?  The right answer: last quarter.  Relational fitness takes a lifetime to master.  The fruit of relational fitness is seeing – in your life -the transformational love of Jesus toward people.  How are you doing?

Step One: Measure it!  If you can’t measure it, how would you ever know how you’re doing?  Session 2 includes a 360 relational fitness assessment based on seven evidences of relation fitness.  Some of us never bothered.  It’s time to send it out.  I have mine on a googleform for ease of distribution.  My first distribution yielded my worst results in 2006 with an average, non-Christlike score of 2.2 (1-5, 5 being best).  In other words, my profession as ‘Christian’ had the opposite results with my pre-Christian friends and collogues.  

Step Two: Choose one thing to change.  Your Session 2 binder contains the strategy.  Choose one characteristic of Jesus to mimic.  The binder describes the seven evidences of relational fitness. Or reference Dale Carnegie’s time tested strategy in How to Win Friends & Influence People.  He explains 30 principles of relational fitness.  You could choose one and put it into practice.  My jam over the years has been to take Jesus’ instruction to confirm most of Carnagie’s principles.  Here are a few of Jesus’ words of relational instruction:

• Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  (Matthew 5:21-22)
• Leave your gift at the altar and first be reconciled to your brother. (Matthew 5:23)
• Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way. (Matthew 5:25-26)
• Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you. (Luke 6:27, Matthew 5:43-48)
• Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. (Matthew 5:33-38)
• Do not resist an evil person. (Matthew 5:38-41)
• Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. (Luke 6:30, Matthew 5:42)
• It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Apostle Paul quoting Jesus – Acts 20:35)
• Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36)
• Do not Judge.  Do not condemn. Forgive (Luke 6:37-38, Matthew 7:1-2, Matthew 6:14-15)
• First take the plank out of your own eye (Matthew 7:3-5)

Choose the one at which you fail miserably when you step on the scale.  Or maybe you feel the Holy Spirit’s illumination in one area.  You cannot change that to which you don’t give focused attention and conscientious strategy.

Step Three – Enter the crucible of transformation.  Jesus says the devil comes to take away His words from our hearts so that we won’t believe and live them (Mark 4:15, Luke 8:12).  In other words, a decision to be Christlike in a single relational indicator is to invite the enemy’s challenge.  When you think about it, without a time of testing, how would you know you’re living like Jesus?  No pain – no gain!  As one does in the gym or endurance training, success comes with relentless trial, pain, and growth.  Your transformation is guaranteed with strategic behavior and time, enduring the struggle.  

Who knows when the crises will arrive?  In many ways, it’s already here.  Regardless, it’s time to live like we are dying.   If you haven’t already, begin today.  Don’t walk away from Holy Spirit’s eternal call on your life.  Choose one Christ-characteristic and get in the crucible of transformation.  We, as the Body of Christ have a call to love others.  Become an expert Jesus lover of others and consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.  You have what it takes!

At Priority Living, we are in your corner,

Rob Dayton

Want to join us for an Audit of a Session?

The Master’s Program, CLICK HERE

The Master’s Program for Women, CLICK HERE