Making much of Christ from 8 to 5

Well this last week I finished reading chapter 8 of Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” for the 2nd time. After having read the whole book, I started pondering what I liked the most and I couldn’t stop thinking about this chapter about making much of Christ in a secular job. Part of this exercise has been spurred on by my recent career involvement with Bank of America. I just interviewed last Friday to score a position as a personal banker at the good ol’ BofA, and this next week will be spent interviewing at different banking centers to see which will be the best fit. So, naturally I have been thinking much about how I can live to not waste my life in the work force.

As I interviewed this morning at a certain center I actually had the opportunity to tell an interviewing manager why I have had a history of success at Bank of America. I told him that the work that I do for BofA is a reflection on the God that I serve. I told him that since I am a Christian I naturally strive harder than anyone else to exceed all of my goals because I would dishonor God if I didn’t do an excellent job. I was reminded this morning that truly we can have an impact on the secular world by merely “making much of Christ from 8 to 5.” The last sentence of the chapters says this:

"If you work like the world, you will waste your life, no matter how rich you get. But if your work creates a web of redemptive relationships and becomes an adornment for the Gospel of the glory of Christ, your satisfaction will last forever and God will be exalted in your joy.”

I desperately don’t want to waste my life, be it in work or any other activity that I endeavor. I am only here on this earth for the short amount of time that God gives me and I know that it would be so foolish to pursue the things of the world. I think this is definitely an area that God continues to sanctify me on because naturally my flesh desires things of the world. It is so easy for me to think about having that Honda S2000, or the nice house, or the fancy “gadgets and gismos a plenty.” It is easy to think about wasting my life away on pleasurable things, but I really want so much more than that! I want to make an impact for Christ! I want to live to bring a smile to my Saviors face. I want to make others happy in God.

I think for me it is just so easy to live like a selfish pig! I think, “gee, I’m saved. . . this is great. . . the world really doesn’t’ know what they are missing.” Well, I want to do more than just think these thoughts, I want to really make an impact for the kingdom of Christ. I want to see the Spiritual needs of others and meet those needs with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his redemtion for sin.

“Dear Lord, please allow me to make a difference in this world of people that hate you. Let me be salt and light and may I bring more honor to your name as a personal banker at Bank of America than if I were to be doing any other job. Let me not live to please myself, but let me live to make others happy in You. I love you, but help me to love you more. Help my love to be sacrificial and steadfast. I desire to be a Christian in the work force that honors you with excellence on the job, and one who is also not shy to be a light to the darkness. Make me live to honor you and may I help others to make much of You! In the powerful name of Christ who has granted me freedom to truly be different, Amen!”

Minnesota and Iowa Trip (August 6th – 13th)

Well for a guy that lives in the middle of the city, my week long trip to Iowa was quite an experience! During my stay, I had the opportunity to do some amazing things like: visiting Pipers church, going to the Iowa State Fair, attending an amazing Switchfoot concert (one of my favorite bands), riding the exhilarating roller coasters at Adventureland, and gazing my eyes upon fields and fields of corn and beans . . . Yeah! Though these activities were super awesome, I had the most amount of fun just spending time with my EVBC family the Paaschs. Since we are such great friends, we like Piper, Switchfoot, and roller coasters, and since Mike and Lynne have family in Polk City, I was blessed to be invited to go and enjoy some vacation with them before my leave of absence expired at the good ol’ BofA. Though some might have thought that I would have been tired of these guys, after having spent a whole week with these guys, I got home and about an hour later, I started to miss them. Wow, how blessed I am to have not only the greatest Christian family of my own, but to also have another family that spurs me on toward love and good deeds as well. I can not even express how grateful I am for the body of Christ. For me, one of the coolest things in the world is seeing the connection that believers instantly have when they are in love with Jesus Christ.

The trip started out with Lynne sharing the gospel to someone that she was sitting next to on the plane. Then when we landed, we said that we wanted to make this a week of encouraging and loving of other people.

Though we had some awesome days, one of the coolest moments we had was when Mike, Lynne, Hannah, Amy, and I all went out one late evening to the lake and we just sat with our feet in the water singing songs of worship to our King. As a result, we ended up attracting a few Polk City fishermen that asked us to sing for them. We chose a few gospel centered songs and then we had a chance to talk with them about a church in their area.

Another awesome moment was when Hannah and I had a chance to share the gospel before the Switchfoot concert. God had ordained that a certain senior in highschool named Marcus would be sitting right next to us. The ticket that he owned had previously been our ticket that we ended up scalping for $5.00. This guy Marcus was all alone and ended up buying the ticket that we had scalped from a guy that we had sold it to. He sat down and very soon after talking with him, we discovered that he was definitely not a follower of Christ. What a cool opportunity! This guy was at this concert because he had heard Switchfoot on a non-Christian radio station and wanted to check out the concert. He was definitely lost, but by God’s providence he allowed us to be tools for His glory to share the gospel. I was so excited about the chance to share the gospel to a guy that so desperately needs salvation! I gave him my email and have been praying that he will contact me.

Anyhow, with keeping with my title, “The Sanctifying Pursuit of God,” I feel like I need to also tell how this trip really showed me some of my own frailties and weaknesses and how God has been sanctifying me. There was one moment when I lost in a certain board game, and in order to redeem myself I ended up playing a game of fooseball with the Hannah and Amy. Before that game, I never had thought that a guy could win a game and actually lose the game! I ended up winning at the expense of just making the girls feel terrible. This experience was so awesome as it gave Mike and Lynne and opportunity to confront me in love on how I had been too competitive in my effort to help my own pride! How cool is it to have believing friends that love you enough to call you to the carpet when you have sinned. For me, my pride and selfishness caused me to play a game for the glory of myself and not for the glory of God. I am so thankful for forgiveness, restoration, and friends that love enough to confront. Thank the Lord, because of forgiveness, the girls even played fooseball again with me since that dreadful game.

This week was such an awesome time in my life and I am so thankful for my 2nd family and for our God who unites our hearts with Christ.

Brent out!

P.S. Iowa Corn is delicious!!!

Back from Mex and Making much of God

Truly I am in love with my Lord Jesus Christ, and my aim is simply to make much of God! As most of you know, I just returned from a 6 week missions trip to Caborca and Hermosillo Mexico. It was an amazing time in my life and God abundantly provided opportunities for me to serve and honor Him while I was there. Now, I am back in Chandler Arizona ready to continue being a missionary here in the states. God definitely confirmed in my heart that I really want to be a missionary for the rest of my life; yet, he also confirmed that my destination will not be in a foreign country, but here in the states. I learned that though it is necessary and awesome to send missionaries to foreign countries, my place is here. I also learned that being a missionary is really being one who passionately makes the most of God wherever they are at. Thus, I will give my life for the Lord here in Chandler or Gilbert, or wherever he desires to station me. Truly I am in a battle for the Lord, and in a race to win the prize. I have already jumped back in to my ministry with the jr high students and parents of EVBC and I just am so excited about what He will do through me this next year. I have often been told that we need to leave our fingerprints on the lives of others. My goal this year is to leave a lasting impact on those around me, and that they would have fingerprints in their lives that urge them to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. To all who sent and prayed for me in Mexico, I can’t even begin to thank you enough. God did some radical things in my heart and in the people I ministered to; Now, I am stoked about living for Him.

“Dear Lord, make me live to make much of you! Allow me the pleasure of living my life to your glory wherever I am at. May you be honored in my life, and may I live to bring a smile to your face alone!”

Making much of God,

Brent Klontz