Love Deeply, Think Deeply, Live Dangerously

By Mark Aaron Quick

In his thought-provoking new book, award-winning author Mark Aaron Quick explores the dynamic correlation between how Christians think with how they react to life situations. Love Deeply, Think Deeply, Live Dangerously asks the question: why do some Christians struggle with being in the world but not of the world? Examples from a variety of topics reveal how God’s Word sheds light on which priorities, beliefs, and values are safe to hold and which ones are spiritually dangerous. 13 compelling topics illustrate a common motif: God is the ultimate Agent of Change. If you change what you think, you can change how you love. If you change how you love, then you’ll change why you live.

Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 The Art of Living Dangerously deals with worldly conformity. The world is a dangerous place. Some dangers can destroy us, but others serve to make us stronger. The art of living dangerously has to do with embracing the type of dangers that build us up.
Chapter 2 Well, Bless My Soul takes a look at how God blesses us. A rationale is offered detailing why blessing others and blessing God should be our focus rather than just looking at our own personal blessings.
Chapter 3 Living Free explores the complexity of freedom by defining it from a biblical perspective. In a world enslaved by sin, Christians are free to show others how to find and experience the freedom available through God’s grace. Our relationship with God, along with how we “think” about freedom, determines how free we truly live.
Chapter 4 Communication 101 explores four questions: How does God communicate with us? How do we communicate with God? How should we communicate with other believers? How should we communicate with unbelievers? Even when we communicate imperfectly, we still communicate. This chapter addresses how communication can be improved.
Chapter 5 Human Pets Syndrome and Personal Identity evaluates what it means to be human. This chapter challenges current beliefs about the equality of animals and people. Our beliefs about our personal identity influence the way we live our lives. The author probes how secular “Elevator Theology” relates to the way people rationalize their abortion arguments.
Chapter 6 Christian Education looks at education from an outcome based perspective. The author examines mentoring, parenting responsibilities, and education from both the pulpit and the classroom.
Chapter 7 Do the Math asks an intriguing question: what can Christians learn from understanding how mathematicians approach abstract ideas? Seeing things from different angles may benefit our overall perception of theological concepts. Metaphysical concepts (such as the trinity) are seldom easy to comprehend. Some truths we seek to apply linearly in a step-by-step manner. Others we analyze globally as we intuitively apply them to our worldview.
Chapter 8 Why We Can Never “Prove” the Existence of God to Skeptics delves into the messy arena of witnessing. An argument is presented that while we witness to both the mind and the heart of unbelievers, our primary target needs to be finding ways to soften a person’s heart first.
Chapter 9 Play by the Rules takes a look at WHY God issued commandments. Most of us don’t like to be told what to do. So why did God give us commandments? An argument is developed showing how following God’s “rules” brings about wonderful results.
Chapter 10 Keep God in the Center of Your Thoughts and Actions outlines what the number one priority for Christians should be.
Chapter 11 The Lone Ranger Rides Again ponders the theme of readiness. Readers learn how people who are “ready” to be used can obey the Lord in a timely and spontaneous manner.
Chapter 12 Myth Busters examines evolution, the secular idea that Christianity itself is just a myth, and the ubiquitous myth of tolerance.
Chapter 13 Our Labor of Love explores the concept of work from a biblical perspective and whether or not som

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Aaron Quick
• Release date: May 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311506689

Mark Aaron Quick

Mark Aaron Quick is an award-winning writer whose love for helping people is revealed in his writing and career choices. Besides being a devoted author, he has been a school counselor, teacher, college professor, guitar instructor, newspaper writer, public speaker, and professional harmonica player. His hobbies include playing chess, trying to keep up with the intricate lives of his three daughters, and going on road trips with Marcia, his wife of more than 3 decades.

Book preview

Love Deeply, Think Deeply, Live Dangerously

13 Compelling Topics

If you change what you think you can change how you love. If you change how you love, then you’ll change why you live.

By Mark Aaron Quick

Other books by Mark Aaron Quick

bound books:

Wisdom for Today’s Decisions

Wisdom for Today’s Teen Decisions

Ebooks:

Keep Your Shorts On!

A Collection of Short Stories for Christian Readers

You Can Be A More Creative Christian

Using Your Creative Gifts to Touch Others and Bring Glory to God

© Copyright 2016 by Mark Aaron Quick. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation.

Dedication

For Steve and Phil, who helped me understand everyone lives dangerously.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Art of Living Dangerously

Chapter 2 Well, Bless My Soul

Chapter 3 Living Free

Chapter 4 Communication 101

Chapter 5 Human Pets Syndrome and Personal Identity

Chapter 6 Christian Education

Chapter 7 Do the Math

Chapter 8 Why We Can Never Prove the Existence of God to Skeptics

Chapter 9 Play by the Rules

Chapter 10 Keep God in the Center of Your Thoughts and Actions

Chapter 11 The Lone Ranger Rides Again

Chapter 12 Myth Busters

Chapter 13 Our Labor of Love

Preface

The goal of life is to love deeply. The purpose of life is to glorify God. Neither happens when Christians exhibit an absence of morality, biblical understanding, or thoughtless interaction with God and others.

The world is a dangerous place. Some dangers have a destructive influence. Others serve to make us stronger. At some point in our lives we must embrace the type of dangers that build us up. Simultaneously we should seek to diminish the influence of those things that tend to tear us down, or even destroy us. It requires discernment to recognize which dangers are which. It requires courage to express love even in the face of danger.

Danger is a relative term. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his soul (see Matthew 16:26)? The crucial question for Christians to consider is this: is it more dangerous to go against the tide of the world or to live well within its flow?

The challenge for Christians in all cultural settings remains the same as it has been through the eons. We are to seek justice, walk in truth, and demonstrate love while living in the freedom found in Christ. Some believers choose a haphazard approach to their Christian experience. I believe this to be a precarious and unhealthy pathway.

To act like a Christian you need to think like a Christian. We must Love Deeply, Think Deeply, AND Live Dangerously. This book addresses 13 topics for readers who want to consistently apply biblical principals to their daily walk. As followers of Jesus Christ I hope all believers will seek to love deeply, pursue Godly thinking, and embrace the idea of becoming dangerously like our Master.

Chapter 1

The Art of Living Dangerously

No drug is without poison, the dose makes the poison. Paracelsus

***

Are you more conformed to the world than you would like to admit? According to Jesus, His followers should seek God’s Kingdom first. Jesus taught this in His Sermon on the Mount. So why do so many of us who claim to be His followers seek conformity with the world? Most of us desire to be Christ-like. But desire alone is not enough. Problems arise because we often don’t follow Him with complete devotion in every aspect of our lives. Why? The reason is that our heart issues draw us habitually into continual dilemmas. Fortunately God offers heart transplants!

The Enormity of Conformity

Many times Christians conform to the world willingly. We say we want to be different, at least from the world. Generally speaking, however, we just want to fit in. We want to be like other people. Is that really so bad? Notice that last question. It was a trap. This is only one of many forms of rationalization we use, because just saying we don’t want to conform to the world is not enough, especially when we do conform frequently.

Does all this sound a bit schizophrenic? Many Christians live with a type of split personality. Personal desires are very normal. But normality alone does not automatically imply something is okay. Being sinful is normal, but the wages of sin is death.

The world is a dangerous place. Some dangers can destroy us, but others serve to make us stronger. The ART of living dangerously has to do with embracing the type of dangers that build us up.

Conformity with the world is something all believers struggle with. We must resist the desire to allow the world to define our beliefs and lifestyle. We should not let the world define what normal is for those of us who are Christians. Instead, we should strive to be extraordinary. This is not the same as being a super hero. Being extraordinary can be accomplished by living a godly quiet life (see 1 Thessalonians 4:11). Being extraordinary was once achieved by simply placing two small coins into an offering box (see Mark 12:42)! All of us CAN be extraordinary.

You can be extraordinary by living a simple, genuine life of faith. Actually a normal Christian is extraordinary when compared to people of the world. But this does not mean you should be satisfied with this comparison. Normal Christianity is not defined by a majority or public opinion poll. Don’t compare yourself to others. Using a person-to-person comparison allows rationalizations that may be overly simplistic. Instead, you should compare yourself to the standards in God’s Word.

When we compare ourselves to others the temptation to maintain self-talk such as, Well, at least I’m not as bad as Jim! can actually diminish our spiritual growth. Some people might go down the opposite self-talk path and say things like, I’ll never be used by God for anything worthwhile. Such statements are not true. Anyone can be used of God. Jesus demonstrated this through His disciples. Use the gifts you have within the situations you find yourself. Don’t be smug about your comparisons, but don’t be weakened by self-doubt either.

Biblical principles should show up in our marriages, our work, our entertainment, our politics, and all facets of our lives. God gave us His Word to CHANGE us. In what ways have you changed lately?

The book of Romans points out believers should live by the spirit rather than by the flesh. We should consider this normal for a Christian, not because it is easy to do but because it is the way it should be. Romans 7 offers proof that if we attempt to do this with our own power, we will fail miserably. Romans 8 reveals that when we set our mind on the Spirit, God’s power can bring victory and nothing can separate us from the love of God!

Dare to Be Normal in an Extraordinary Fashion

As stated previously, one problem faced by many Christians is the desire to be like others in the world. We often want to be like other people when in actuality we should simply want to be more like God. We want the same toys and gadgets. We want similar clothing and the same type of music the world has. We want Christian music, but we want our Christian music to sound like popular secular music. I must confess I like these things as well, and all these things may be fine, IF we are not being worldly.

But the problem develops in a subtle fashion. We may be tempted to pray, "God, don’t let me be too different." When Christians seek to emulate people with worldly values, there is bound to be a clash somewhere along the spectrum of beliefs, priorities, and values (see Daniel chapter 1 to learn one method Daniel used to avoid this).

The Bible teaches several ideas about conformity. Jesus taught that having two masters does not work. Paul’s advice was, … do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). The author of Hebrews wrote that we should emulate the heroes of the faith who were men of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:38). We should live our lives as people of the promise (see Galatians chapter 3). If we are indeed focused on God and upon His promise of eternal life, we cannot live exactly the same as people of the world who do not live for God.

Jesus prayed that His disciples would be in the world but not of the world (see John 17). There is nothing wrong with being here in the world, but our primary allegiance must be with God. Paul wrote to the Philippians that God was not finished yet with his work through him, and so it was more necessary for him to stay. He was in the world, but not of it.

When you think about worldliness, what quantity, dosage, or amount of exposure can you sustain before you also become worldly? Consider your personal answer carefully. Christians who cannot distinguish whether they are of the world or not may have already become conformed. It is likely conformity to the world happens with little conscious knowledge. Regarding conformity the poison is in the dose!

Altering Attitude

Paul displayed two important attitudes to the believers in Philippi. We can learn from his example. The first attitude was that of a willing servant. It was his desire to serve both God and others. Do you share this desire, or do you frequently hope someone else steps up to the plate? How do you handle opportunities such as nursery duty, bringing snacks to the youth group, helping out with vacation Bible school, visiting older folks at a nursing home, or whatever opportunities come your way? Is your attitude appropriate? Do you step right in or do you desperately hope someone else steps up to the plate? The reason I know about these dilemmas is because I struggle with them too.

The second attitude has to do with living according to God’s promises. Being focused on God’s promises allows us to develop an active frame of mind that maintains a genuine future-oriented perspective. You may call it planning on going to heaven. You may call it accepting the idea that being absent from the body means being present with the Lord. You may call it focusing on eternal life. You may call it the book of Job principle. You may refer to it as the attitude Paul displayed in the first two chapters of Philippians. But whatever you may call it, having this long-range attitude is a key ingredient to avoiding conformity with the world.

Paul informed the Galatians that when we get our eyes off the promise we tend to live by the flesh rather than by the spirit. There was a movement a few years ago called Promise Keepers. It outlined important elements such as keeping our promises. That goal is very important. But it is crucial that Christians also become People Who Live According to God’s Promises. We ought to be people who live in and through the knowledge of God’s promises to us. Living by the flesh is the essence of conformity. Living by the spirit means being continually focused on God. Is your focus worldly or is your focus on God and His promises?

If Noah sought conformity he would not have built an ark. If Abram (soon to be called Abraham) sought conformity he would never have left Ur. If David sought conformity no one would have defeated Goliath. If Daniel sought conformity, it is true that he may never have been cast into the den of lions, but it is also true that Darius may never have seen the miraculous evidence of God’s power! Thankfully these men thought of themselves as men of whom the world was not worthy (see Hebrews 11). They remained focused on the big picture.

One of the most common ways we conform is in the way we address issues. We often wail about the demise of Christian morals. We rant and rave about the lack of a Christian worldview within our society. This brings up our righteous indignation. Then we can really take the ball and roll! We can easily behave angrily in a way in which we sound so righteous, so religious, and so committed. This is when we must be most alert. We can become so righteous that stoning a woman caught in the act of adultery seems like the only solution (see John 8). It is in moments like this that we are in peril of being most conformed to the world. We need to have the attitude of Christ (see Philippians chapter 2).

Avoiding Conformity With the World

Conformity takes many different roles. It may show up in external areas of our lives. It may be a part of our internal life because it may be a part of our thoughts and assumptions. Human nature is complex so we need vigilance in all areas of life. Externally, we often conform in the area of material possessions and appearances. Internally, we often develop conformity regarding priorities, values, and beliefs.

Suppose someone points out that all people have similar needs and that what appears to be worldly conformity is nothing more than simply living according to one’s needs. All humans have the same basic spiritual and physiological needs. However, when we are born again (see John 3), there is a spiritual transformation of needs and wants. We still need water, air, and sleep. True. We still need God’s cleansing from unrighteousness, the fruits of the Spirit, and greater love. True again. But the difference between these types of needs is huge. A Christian has already attained these spiritual gifts, or he or she is in the process of attaining them. Needs that are currently met are no longer needs in the normal sense of the word. I sometimes observe Christians using the word needs to exaggeratedly label things that are actually just wants or desires.

Learn to focus on your true needs. These needs are what you should be asking God for. Don’t be lazy when it comes to your personal spiritual development. First you must identify your true spiritual needs. Be aware that they often change at different times during your life. A study of biblical characters reveals that each person’s spiritual needs are often unique. Moses, Elijah, Peter, and John all had differing needs and areas to grow in.

Are you unsure of your own spiritual needs? As a beginning point, seek to improve your personal relationship with God. As you engage in improving your relationship with Him your spiritual needs will become more obvious. What do you need spiritually at this point in your journey? When you ask God to lead you through each day, it will help you avoid conformity with the world.

Foster Consistency

Most Christians do not have a problem with having too few beliefs. Our problem tends to be holding on to inconsistent beliefs. The problem is that we often get our eyes off God and His promises and then we develop inconsistent patterns and habits. For example, when our faith is speckled with fear and worry, it looks suspiciously unlike true faith.

Fear and Worry

A major dimension to our conformity can be seen in things we worry about. We worry about our nation, the education of our children, our finances, wars, natural disasters and the list goes on and on. Most Christians live in fear. How do we rationalize our fears as being anything other than worldly? Imagine how our prayer requests would be transformed if we truly feared God and nothing else! Fear shatters our witness to the world. Our opportunities to be salt and light are diluted and dissipated when we exemplify fear. Rather than presenting courageous peacemaking and the type of powerful meekness that comes from God’s internal strengthening, many of us walk through the valley of the shadow of death like cowardly lions.

Our problem is that we often believe our fears. When we do so we are conformed to the world through our fears. Is God in control, is the adversary in control, or is the