2 Timothy 2:8-9 (ESV)
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as
preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a
criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
Paul is bound but the word of God is not bound. Paul had given
himself to something higher than self-fulfillment. In Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs, physiological and safety needs come first. Self-actualization is at the
top. If that were true Paul would never have been in prison. The apostles would
never have given their lives for the gospel. Timothy would never have followed
the teachings of Paul. But these men gave their lives for something higher,
more important to them than physiology or safety, let alone self-actualization.
They gave their lives for the gospel.
This makes me wonder what I give my life for. It makes me wonder
what we, as believers, give our lives for. Do we really believe that Jesus
suffered, died, and rose again? Do we really believe that real life is found in
him? Do we really believe that nothing else is more important in life than the
truth of the gospel? Or have we fallen for the lie that believing in Jesus is a
way to safety and self-actualization? Have we fallen for the lie that life is
about us and that anything that threatens our safety or comfort is bad? It
makes me wonder whether we have defanged the gospel and turned our faith into
something safe? As C. S. Lewis observed, God is not safe, but he is good. I
fear that we have settled for a safe god. Life is not about us. Whatever
happens to us, the gospel is not bound. In that we can rejoice no matter what
happens to us.
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