Today’s lesson was inspired by the first chapter of the book Man in the Mirror so, if you have a copy, you can review it to gain some deeper insights.
Have you ever felt like you are working harder and harder and getting nowhere? Have you convinced yourself that if you could just get over the next hill, it will be downhill from there…..only to eventually realize there is another hill beyond that…..and another beyond that? If so, you may be competing in the rat race of life.
Today’s verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17 focuses on breaking free from the rat race which most of us struggle with:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
In the context of today’s lesson, the “old” thing is our tendency to be drawn in to the rat race. Whether it is career success, houses, cars, private schools, extravagant vacations or something else, most of us struggle with some version of the rat race. The ironic thing is that nobody has ever won this race and, even if they did, they would still be a rat.
So why do we keep running the race? Some say it is because of advertising and others say it is simply something deep inside of us — after all the commandment that we “shall not covet” is thousands of years old.
But no matter the reason, the rat race separates us from our most important calling which is to Love God and Love people. The more we focus on career success and material possessions, the less we are able to focus on our true calling.
That is not to say that we shouldn’t work hard or enjoy the fruits of our labor but only that there is a time for everything under the sun and that we need to have balance in our lives. This is easier said that done of course and we all struggle with balance at times.
The verse above gives us the answer though — if we are in Christ, we are a new creation; we are able to focus our energy on eternal pursuits vs. those of this world.
Here are some questions to help us dig deeper in to the subject of today’s lesson:
1) Do you believe that most me are caught up in the rat race?
2) If the rat race is unwinnable, why do so many men run it? What are they trying to accomplish?
3) Do you believe material pursuits affect our ability to be “in Christ” and follow his teachings? If so, how?
4) Some say that the media and consumerism drive much or even most of our behavior. How do you feel these influences have impacted your values and the way you spend your time and money?
5) Advertisers work hard to create a “wrinkle free” version of how life is supposed to be. What steps can you take to break free from these influences and focus more on God’s will for your life?
Men's Small Group Blog 