"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
Everything gets old after while. The new car will lose the new car smell. That new pair of Jordan’s will get some scratches on it, they will really get old when the new pair of Jordan’s hits the market. That iPhone that you can’t seem to be able to take your hands off will be a thing of the past three months later when the new design is introduced. That girl friend will not be as pretty after marriage. Your husband’s six-pack will turn into a gallon. That job that was so exciting in the beginning, but now you can do with your eyes closed, yes, that one will get old to.
The list does not stop here; the reality is that everything gets old after while. That is indeed a Biblical principle; Ecclesiastes 1:1 tells us,
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (NKJV)
The man that gave life to these words was not a poor man or a man who did not have access to education or great life experiences. The man who wrote these words was the great Salomon. Salomon had everything, he was king of Israel during the best times of this great nation, and Salomon married whomever he wanted. He was surrounded with beauty, fame, riches and an unmatched wisdom. Nevertheless, this man concluded that, all is vanity.
This article may come across as depressing and hopeless, but is really describing the condition of a life where Jesus is not the center.
One of the things I am learning is that the center of our lives can’t ever be empty. Something will always be there occupying that space. When that center is not Jesus then an idol is.
When an idol is at the center of our lives then we have embrace the process of self-destruction and not the abundant life that can only be successfully provided by Jesus. Removing Christ from the center is the greatest tragedy in the history of humanity. Wherever Christ is not embrace as a King, Savior and Lord death reign.
In the New Testament we have a graphic example of a human heart without Christ. In John chapter four we see the story of the Samaritan woman,
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14 (NKJV)
The only thing that will never get old is Christ, he said, “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” In John 6:35 Jesus takes this thing further as he declares,
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (NKJV)
Jesus is giving us spiritual principles; in Him we will never be spiritually thirsty or hungry. Beloved, Jesus is the hope of this world. I think that many of us are tired of church’s rituals and man made religion. Our church gatherings are also getting old. We are not doing a good job expressing the awesomeness of Christ in our gathering. But I encourage you to be inspired by the Samaritan Woman. Her encounter with Christ, transformed her, and her community.
