Officer chat:
“What should we do boss?” asked my number 2 in command.
“Let him go repair his equipment,” I replied.

Public chat:
“Player XYZ, you’re a good player. [Pause] Don’t EVER show up to my raid again without repairing,” I said very sternly as I publicly rebuked the offending member of my World of Warcraft guild.

I had reached pretty much the pinnacle of the current online gaming community: I was the leader of a gaming guild of over 100 players who would do whatever my whim desired. All I had to do was say the word. I was humble and reserved with my power so that when I used it, it counted. I was loved as a leader, respected, and people looked up to me. I toiled very hard to grow a guild out of just a handful of friends and I spent consuming hours doing it.

The problem was that it wasn’t enough and it would never be enough. (I eventually quit the game after a 2+ year addiction). We seek meaning, identity, purpose, comfort, in all kinds of communities. It’s evident when we ponder the following:

• Work
• Drinking Establishments
• Circles of drug abusers
• Gangs
• Video Game Guilds and Clans
• Sports teams
• Church
• Coffee Crazies
• Book clubs
• Pick-up Groups

Our desire for meaning in community is a good thing. Community, in particular is powerful. When we find our niche at work, our sports buddies or drinking buddies with whom we see eye-to-eye, those we share similar interests, life sparks in those groups and interactions. It’s exciting! We go back, we meet again, we seek to recreate those initial sparks, which is fine.

Eventually, the sparks dim and the excitement wears off. These pursuits, on their own, require more time, energy, and sacrifice to recreate a fraction of the initial experience…they consume us. I believe that only Christ can bring “everlasting life”. If what we do is Christ-centered, then the life we experience is renewed. We can “drink” and not get thirsty. I threw in Church to make clear that “Christ-centered” does not necessarily mean “about Jesus.” I’ve seen plenty of Church groups that probably belong in the garbage heap that are “about Jesus” and I’ve seen well meaning people addicted to Church communities. (However, if Christ is preached, even in pretense, that’s still a good thing - Philippians 1:15-18). Any community, even “good” communities can be abused by their members to attempt to fulfill a desire for meaning. I love good communities and I find great meaning in them and they are fun. But, if we outsource our pursuit of meaning and fulfillment to the community alone, neglecting Jesus, we make that community our god, our idol, and set ourselves on the path to being consumed.

Every god requires sacrifice. That may sound archaic, but all of the modern renovations of god-worship are still present, especially in the communities represented above. Whatever “god” you choose, they will consume your life. They can’t bring life because they’re all dead. Jesus is the only one who gives back because He is the Living God.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” - John 10:10.

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:13-14.

Jesus proposes a litmus test, so to speak, a conundrum of logic by which we can test His claim:

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” - Matthew 10:39. (This is probably my second most favorite verse in the Bible).

Given my own testimony above, I already find the first half to be true. The more I try to find my life my own way, I end up losing my life as I am consumed. In my pursuit of finding my life in the World of Warcraft community, I lost my physical health by gaining 70 pounds, I lost my social life by forsaking all my friends, I lost my marriage as I neglected my wife (there are two sides to this story, but this is a window into some of my mistakes), and I could have lost my job if it wasn’t for His grace. I stayed up late many nights making it hard to get to work on time.

“Losing my life for His sake” actually sounds very toilsome, boring, and painful. His promise states, however, by doing this I will find “life”. It can be quite a stretch to believe this. More on this later…