So, I went to see The Glorious Unseen in concert last night. If I had the choice to go again, I probably wouldn't. I like their albums, but the concert was just not my thing. Altogether, it was really, really loud. I think I felt just about every organ in my body vibrating. And although many of the songs had beautiful lyrics, the singer's voice was at times drowned out, and all I was hearing at times was just a bunch of noise. Some people may wonder why I don't like the really hard Christian music, and it's really just that; a whole ton of noise.
Now, I'm by no means "dissing" this group; I like their recorded albums and will continue to listen to them. They have some beautiful, very prayerful songs. But the thing was, I found myself thinking, how is God possibly going to speak and make His presence known through all this noise? However, I prayed that God would allow me to not be judgmental and show me something through it; to truly look past what I saw and heard around me. He didn't speak to me through the music, but through other things and in thinking over things later on in the evening.
Actually, the first thing was really the noise. I didn't think the Spirit could speak through the noise, and although I'm sure He can, I believe there is some truth to that. I was reminded of an account in the Old Testament where God displayed some mighty things to Elijah:
"And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD, And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
--1 Kings 19:11, 12
When I read this passage, I hear a lot of noise, but God didn't speak in the midst of any of that. He waited until it was calm and quiet. And seeing as He spoke in a still small voice, Elijah wouldn't have heard it anyway. Now, music aside, what kind of "noise" do we have in our lives that may prevent God from speaking? Maybe it is literal noise, maybe you always have music playing, whatever it is you're doing. But what about the other things that fill up and clutter your life, things you constantly have going on, things you're always busy with? These things may not necessarily be bad; they may actually be very good. But could it be that you're surrounding yourself with so much "noise" that God is unable to speak, or that you are unable to hear Him when He does?
The other thing that stuck out to me was the Gospel message shared at the concert. At first, I kind of groaned within myself for several reasons: the man used a different Bible translation I wasn't familiar with and wasn't sure I liked, I wasn't crazy about the way he started off, and it was based on the parable of the prodigal son, which I was all too familiar with and hear the passage spoken on all too often, or so I thought. But I learned something very unexpected: it's great to hear the same thing again from a total new perspective. He brought out new points and insights that were totally new to me, things that I had never thought of or heard anybody speak on before. It gave me a new appreciation for the passage and for the insight of other teachers.
Last, was not really something I learned, but rather something I was amazed and challenged by. During the concert, The Glorious Unseen sang the song How He Loves Us, which was not written by this group. It was not my favourite song, but has an amazing story behind it, which you can hear from the writer personally here if you want, but I'll share the gist of it as well, as well as my thoughts. The morning before the person wrote this song a few years ago, his best friend who was a youth leader was in a prayer meeting. And he prayed that if God would shake the youth of the nation, he would give up his life. He said he would die today if it meant that God would shake the youth of the nation. He died that night in a car accident. The writer of this song trusted that if God heard the first part of the prayer, he would follow through with the second. And although this man, who became a youth leader himself, saw many wonderful things, he didn't see a movement happen. This song that he wrote the morning after his friend's death, actually did end up changing the lives of many teens.
I believe this song is only a small part of that man's prayer. I mean, here was a man who not only prayed for change, but laid His life before God, ready to die, if it only meant that God would bring change. It's amazing for me to think of the possibility of our generation turning their lives over to the Lord and living lives surrendered to Him is because of a man's prayer and sacrifice. I also believe that the Rebelution is one such movement that is an answer to this man's prayer and death. I believe that God is working and He will fulfill that man's request. His death shall not be in vain. How will you respond? Will you surrender up your life to God, living it fully for Him, laying aside all the cares and things this world has to offer, and follow Jesus no matter what the cost?
To close, I apologize for my lack of blogging this year. It has been a busy one, but it's also been a good one, in which I have seen many amazing things. I'm done school now, and with having some more free time on my hands, I hope to post more consistently, if anybody's still paying attention. Blessings!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
"Just Do Something" in a Nutshell
I recently finished reading "Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will" by Kevin DeYoung. The alternate title sums the book up quite well: "How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, Etc." How's that for a change? Few books have caused me to think as much as this one has, especially on such a wide range of topics. I could talk about the inability to make decisions, because it often seems that when we have two options put before us (generally with the idea of here's what you give, here's what you get), a signal goes off inside of us that consists of red lights flashing, sirens blaring, and a frantic cry for help, like the whole universe depends on this one decision of ours. I could talk about Kevin's points on job hunting and marriage, which I really happened to like, particularly because I discovered that there's actually a man out there who understands my hesitancy to pursue a career. I could talk about how so many of us pray for God to reveal His will for our lives (which he isn't exactly going to do) and all end up doing nothing: "At the rate some of us are going, we will be exploring our future career at thirty , entering adulthood at forty, trying to find ourselves at fifty, questioning everything again at sixty, pondering a career move at seventy, wondering what we were made for at eighty, and still waiting to discover God's will at ninety. And then we'll die, never having done much of anything." But that's way too much ground to cover in depth, and I really believe that all these things are just a small part of a much greater, yet simple principle.
This one principle is found in the last paragraph of the book: "So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God." So if you want that in even simpler words, the principle is this: Love God with all your heart, obey His Word, then do what you want.
The more I've thought about that idea, the more I've come to like it and the more I've come to see how practical it really is. I actually really believe that if we lived by this, life would be a whole lot easier and things would go well with us. If we love God, we will do those things and make decisions which we know will honour and please Him, just like a woman who loves her husband will seek to live in such a way that honours her husband. If we obey God's Word, we really don't have much room to err in life. Not only are our actions and words accounted for, but also our thoughts, motivations, and intentions. Even some of those things which we don't do as we see in James 4:17: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." So if we are truly living in obedience to the the Word of God, and loving God with all our heart, there's really not that much room for us to fall.
No, the Bible doesn't tell us exactly tell us who to marry, what career to pursue, which car to buy, where to live, and if we pray, God isn't going to always tell us exactly what to do either. But the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word and instead of asking God exactly what to do, we ought to be praying for wisdom. Proverbs does speak a lot about it for a reason. Job 28 is actually one of my favourite chapters for wisdom: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28: 28) And the will of God is really not as complicated as Christians try to make it, but rather quite simple. As you read through the New Testament, simple things come up like the giving of thanks and sanctification as being the will of God for us. And if we started living out the simple things we understand, pursuing sanctification and holiness, and stop fussing over things we don't, or things that Christians can't agree on, we would come a long way.
And has it ever occurred to you, that there might not just be one right choice?
Blessings,
Margaret
This one principle is found in the last paragraph of the book: "So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God." So if you want that in even simpler words, the principle is this: Love God with all your heart, obey His Word, then do what you want.
The more I've thought about that idea, the more I've come to like it and the more I've come to see how practical it really is. I actually really believe that if we lived by this, life would be a whole lot easier and things would go well with us. If we love God, we will do those things and make decisions which we know will honour and please Him, just like a woman who loves her husband will seek to live in such a way that honours her husband. If we obey God's Word, we really don't have much room to err in life. Not only are our actions and words accounted for, but also our thoughts, motivations, and intentions. Even some of those things which we don't do as we see in James 4:17: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." So if we are truly living in obedience to the the Word of God, and loving God with all our heart, there's really not that much room for us to fall.
No, the Bible doesn't tell us exactly tell us who to marry, what career to pursue, which car to buy, where to live, and if we pray, God isn't going to always tell us exactly what to do either. But the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Word and instead of asking God exactly what to do, we ought to be praying for wisdom. Proverbs does speak a lot about it for a reason. Job 28 is actually one of my favourite chapters for wisdom: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28: 28) And the will of God is really not as complicated as Christians try to make it, but rather quite simple. As you read through the New Testament, simple things come up like the giving of thanks and sanctification as being the will of God for us. And if we started living out the simple things we understand, pursuing sanctification and holiness, and stop fussing over things we don't, or things that Christians can't agree on, we would come a long way.
And has it ever occurred to you, that there might not just be one right choice?
Blessings,
Margaret
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Are You Satisfied?
Are you satisfied with your life? Are you content with what you have? Are all the blessings and gifts God has given you enough? As I have been reading John Piper's book Desiring God, I have been forced to ask myself these questions. He shared something by C. S. Lewis under a section titled "We Are Far Too Easily Pleased" while speaking on the matter of worship. In a sense, in that statement he's saying, "You are settling for too little; what you have is not enough; how can you be satisfied and content with what you have?" Doesn't that sound horribly selfish, unthankful, unholy, ungodly, and unrighteous? At first glance, yes, it does. But as I read this portion, I was inspired but what he had to say and I felt the longing to share it.
"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that the Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
--C. S. Lewis
In response to this, here is what Piper says:
"That's it! The enemy of worship is not that our desire for pleasure is too strong, but too weak! We have settled for a home, a family, a few friends, a job, a televison, a microwave oven, an occasional night out, a yearly vacation, and perhaps a new personal computer. We have accustomed ourselves to such meager, short-lived pleasures that our capacity for joy has shriveled. And so our worship has shriveled. Many can scarcely imagine what is meant by "a holiday at the sea"--worshipping the living God!"
--John Piper, Desiring God
What I hear Lewis and Piper saying here is that man is content with the pleasures this world has to offer that only provide temporary satisfaction and fail to delight in God at whose right hand are pleasures evermore. We fail to delight ourselves in the Lord--which we are commanded to do--and rather seek the things in this world that will all be gone when we die.
Do you long and thirst after the living God? Is your treasure found in Him? Has He captivated your heart that you just can't get enough of what He has to offer? Is He your desire and delight, the source of your joy? Or are you still shopping around for the next new thing, trying to find fulfillment in the newest gadget, keeping up with the latest fashions, a relationship, having the perfect body, and all other things that satisfy temporarily and only leave you feeling empty and discontent again?
The truth is, there is so much more to be had, and that we can claim it. God offers us Himself, and He alone can fully satisfy our longings and desires.
"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that the Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
--C. S. Lewis
In response to this, here is what Piper says:
"That's it! The enemy of worship is not that our desire for pleasure is too strong, but too weak! We have settled for a home, a family, a few friends, a job, a televison, a microwave oven, an occasional night out, a yearly vacation, and perhaps a new personal computer. We have accustomed ourselves to such meager, short-lived pleasures that our capacity for joy has shriveled. And so our worship has shriveled. Many can scarcely imagine what is meant by "a holiday at the sea"--worshipping the living God!"
--John Piper, Desiring God
What I hear Lewis and Piper saying here is that man is content with the pleasures this world has to offer that only provide temporary satisfaction and fail to delight in God at whose right hand are pleasures evermore. We fail to delight ourselves in the Lord--which we are commanded to do--and rather seek the things in this world that will all be gone when we die.
Do you long and thirst after the living God? Is your treasure found in Him? Has He captivated your heart that you just can't get enough of what He has to offer? Is He your desire and delight, the source of your joy? Or are you still shopping around for the next new thing, trying to find fulfillment in the newest gadget, keeping up with the latest fashions, a relationship, having the perfect body, and all other things that satisfy temporarily and only leave you feeling empty and discontent again?
The truth is, there is so much more to be had, and that we can claim it. God offers us Himself, and He alone can fully satisfy our longings and desires.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Press On
What do you think about rash decisions? I've concluded today that for the most part, they're not a good idea. I was very close today to dropping out of my chemistry course. Save me a lot of stress and headaches, why not? It's super hard and I'll be very lucky to pass this course and I don't need it. I talked to my guidance counselor for 15 minutes and my options are actually not too bad.
But then I started thinking about this a little bit more. I still need another credit in place of that and that would mean more time and possibly not being able to finish this year and more money, all for something I'm not sure is going to be any better. And I'm almost three-quarters of the way through and if I worked consistently it may only mean about two more weeks and then my exam. So realistically speaking, the whole idea was a pretty stupid one. But I just about did it to try and get out of something I don't like.
I said I couldn't do it. In and of myself and my own strength I can't. But Who do I serve? I serve a great and awesome God that can do a whole lot more than help me pass a chemistry course. By His power, I can. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. How can I share with others this incredible God when I can't put my trust in Him in such a matter as chemistry? What else do I promote? I really enjoy telling people about the Rebelution and Do Hard Things. And here I'm throwing in the towel for schoolwork that I don't understand. Where's the perseverance? Why am I not striving for excellence and doing the hard things God has put in my life?
Overall, I didn't have peace over withdrawing from this course. When I got to the store this afternoon, I flipped through the book Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, which I bought today, and began scanning chapter titles: Determination; Standing Tall When Tested; Standing Firm When Discouraged; Standing Strong When Tempted. Over and over the words ring. Press on. Persevere. DON'T GIVE UP! This is what God has called us to.
But then I started thinking about this a little bit more. I still need another credit in place of that and that would mean more time and possibly not being able to finish this year and more money, all for something I'm not sure is going to be any better. And I'm almost three-quarters of the way through and if I worked consistently it may only mean about two more weeks and then my exam. So realistically speaking, the whole idea was a pretty stupid one. But I just about did it to try and get out of something I don't like.
I said I couldn't do it. In and of myself and my own strength I can't. But Who do I serve? I serve a great and awesome God that can do a whole lot more than help me pass a chemistry course. By His power, I can. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. How can I share with others this incredible God when I can't put my trust in Him in such a matter as chemistry? What else do I promote? I really enjoy telling people about the Rebelution and Do Hard Things. And here I'm throwing in the towel for schoolwork that I don't understand. Where's the perseverance? Why am I not striving for excellence and doing the hard things God has put in my life?
Overall, I didn't have peace over withdrawing from this course. When I got to the store this afternoon, I flipped through the book Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, which I bought today, and began scanning chapter titles: Determination; Standing Tall When Tested; Standing Firm When Discouraged; Standing Strong When Tempted. Over and over the words ring. Press on. Persevere. DON'T GIVE UP! This is what God has called us to.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Your Life
The video I posted earlier on this week of Clayton McDonald has brought new thoughts and questions to mind. Why is it that we often assume we have a long life ahead of us? Why do we often automatically think we have 70 or 80 years to live? To be honest, I think many of us go throughout our days with this mentality. Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder if that may be your last day? Most of us would probably have to say no.
I think we often have a more fairy tale idea of our lives, especially girls. We dream of meeting some wonderful person, getting married, and living in a cute, cozy little home with lots of flowers and a white picket fence. So we have a nice, happy life, raise a family, whole-heartedly serve the Lord and one day we'll sit in a rocking chair and tell our grandchildren stories of when we were young'uns.
But what if we don't see tomorrow? Or what if God decides He has different plans for our lives than we have for ourselves? What if He decides to take you home before you're out of your teens? What if He, after one blissful year of marriage, He were to take your husband home, leaving your unborn baby fatherless and you a widow at age 22? What if your wife died in a car accident and left two young children without a mother?
Suddenly, our perfect dream world is shattered and we are ready to ask God "Why?" But He never told us we would have 80 perfect years. What we do know, though, is that His will is the best and it is there we are safe, as Clayton McDonald said. No, it won't be easy, but it is the best.
So, keeping this in mind, how do we live our lives? What if today was your last day?
I think we often have a more fairy tale idea of our lives, especially girls. We dream of meeting some wonderful person, getting married, and living in a cute, cozy little home with lots of flowers and a white picket fence. So we have a nice, happy life, raise a family, whole-heartedly serve the Lord and one day we'll sit in a rocking chair and tell our grandchildren stories of when we were young'uns.
But what if we don't see tomorrow? Or what if God decides He has different plans for our lives than we have for ourselves? What if He decides to take you home before you're out of your teens? What if He, after one blissful year of marriage, He were to take your husband home, leaving your unborn baby fatherless and you a widow at age 22? What if your wife died in a car accident and left two young children without a mother?
Suddenly, our perfect dream world is shattered and we are ready to ask God "Why?" But He never told us we would have 80 perfect years. What we do know, though, is that His will is the best and it is there we are safe, as Clayton McDonald said. No, it won't be easy, but it is the best.
So, keeping this in mind, how do we live our lives? What if today was your last day?
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Video
I would like to encourage everyone to watch this video. I have been incredibly blessed and challenged by it and I pray that you are as well. It's about half an hour and well worth your time.
Clayton McDonald
Clayton McDonald
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Pain: An Opportunity
Ah, after over 3 months of absence, I have returned to the blogging world. The explanation for my absence is quite simple: I have lacked time and haven't had anything worth writing. But this week I have been reflecting on pain and supposed I would share my thoughts, although I doubt anyone will read this.
Pain. Whether physical or emotional, pain is a God-given opportunity. That sounds strange, but I personally have come to see the truth in this wonderful concept. No, it's not easy. In fact, it's often very hard. But every time we encounter hardship and pain, we have a choice, and our decision may have a greater impact than we may think.
The first choice we can make is not a very difficult one, but results in even more pain and hardship. We can choose to give into pain and everything that comes along with it. We can allow fear to take over the situation and makes things seem a whole lot worse than they really are. Of course, that's what the enemy wants. We can despair, wallow in self-pity, whine, complain, and try to get others to feel sorry for us as well. We can allow our emotional hurts bring us down into depression and feelings of hopelessness. But this choice only makes the hurt more painful and the situation that much more dismal.
The second choice we have when encounter pain and hardship in our lives is to draw closer to our Lord and Saviour. It's an opportunity to come before Him in prayer, seeking Him, being bold before the throne of grace, casting our cares upon Him who cares for us. It's an opportunity for God to show Himself strong in our lives and demonstrate His awesome power and might. We can take refuge and lean on Him. He can be our strength in weakness, our courage in the midst of fear, our bread when we're hungry, and our water when we're thirsty. We can choose to remember what He did for us, how He went to the cross of Calvary, suffered, bled, and died. We can remember the pain and humiliation He endured to save us. I can be thankful for the great price He paid to save me, a wretched sinner, from sin, death, and hell and grant me eternal life and an inheritance undefiled and incorruptible. This is only a fraction of what I can do.
Something that God has been opening to is the fact that I have an influence on others. Right now, my sphere of influence is small--although maybe bigger than I am aware of--but it exists. And as I get older and experience more things, that sphere of influence is going to grow. When other people look at my life, what are they going to see? What will they notice about the way I act, speak, and the manner in which I relate to others? What will they notice about the way I handle trials that come my way? Thus, pain and hardship is an opportunity to shine for Jesus, to display His power, His glory, His love, and His grace to a world that doesn't understand why a loving God allows us to suffer.
This is my earnest prayer: that I may use my trials and pain as God-given opportunities.
Pain. Whether physical or emotional, pain is a God-given opportunity. That sounds strange, but I personally have come to see the truth in this wonderful concept. No, it's not easy. In fact, it's often very hard. But every time we encounter hardship and pain, we have a choice, and our decision may have a greater impact than we may think.
The first choice we can make is not a very difficult one, but results in even more pain and hardship. We can choose to give into pain and everything that comes along with it. We can allow fear to take over the situation and makes things seem a whole lot worse than they really are. Of course, that's what the enemy wants. We can despair, wallow in self-pity, whine, complain, and try to get others to feel sorry for us as well. We can allow our emotional hurts bring us down into depression and feelings of hopelessness. But this choice only makes the hurt more painful and the situation that much more dismal.
The second choice we have when encounter pain and hardship in our lives is to draw closer to our Lord and Saviour. It's an opportunity to come before Him in prayer, seeking Him, being bold before the throne of grace, casting our cares upon Him who cares for us. It's an opportunity for God to show Himself strong in our lives and demonstrate His awesome power and might. We can take refuge and lean on Him. He can be our strength in weakness, our courage in the midst of fear, our bread when we're hungry, and our water when we're thirsty. We can choose to remember what He did for us, how He went to the cross of Calvary, suffered, bled, and died. We can remember the pain and humiliation He endured to save us. I can be thankful for the great price He paid to save me, a wretched sinner, from sin, death, and hell and grant me eternal life and an inheritance undefiled and incorruptible. This is only a fraction of what I can do.
Something that God has been opening to is the fact that I have an influence on others. Right now, my sphere of influence is small--although maybe bigger than I am aware of--but it exists. And as I get older and experience more things, that sphere of influence is going to grow. When other people look at my life, what are they going to see? What will they notice about the way I act, speak, and the manner in which I relate to others? What will they notice about the way I handle trials that come my way? Thus, pain and hardship is an opportunity to shine for Jesus, to display His power, His glory, His love, and His grace to a world that doesn't understand why a loving God allows us to suffer.
This is my earnest prayer: that I may use my trials and pain as God-given opportunities.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
All That Really Matters
I know that my blogging was really weak last month, and I'm not intending to make any promises for this year, as I know it will be busy enough.
This week, I started reading John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. I believe that I'm in a very fitting time in my life to read this book and a few passages have particularly caught my attention. Not only is it a new year, but a time in my life where I have many trials ahead of me, where I trust God will show Himself strong and I will learn to love Him more.
You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on into eternity, you don't need to have a high IQ. You don't have to have good looks or riches or come from a fine family or a fine school. Instead you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things--and one great all-embracing thing--and be set on fire by them.
--John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life (emphasis in passage mine)
In the end, all that will really matter, is do we know God and does He know us. This is what it will all come down to: Do you know Jesus and does He know you? That second part is as important as the first. No Ph.D, no houses, land, or other accumulated possessions will matter. I like how Jim Cowan says it in his song When It's All Been Said and Done:
When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth
Did I live my life for You
When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I've done for love's Reward
Will stand the test of time
This year, I long to live for Christ and Him alone, because knowing Him is all that matters. No matter what I accomplish here on earth, unless I know Him and live to love and glorify Him, I have nothing but wasted my life.
John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Knowing God is eternal life!
And thus a cross-centered, cross-exalting, cross-saturated life is a God-glorifying life--the only God-glorifying life. All others are wasted.
--John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
May we remember these words this coming year.
This week, I started reading John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. I believe that I'm in a very fitting time in my life to read this book and a few passages have particularly caught my attention. Not only is it a new year, but a time in my life where I have many trials ahead of me, where I trust God will show Himself strong and I will learn to love Him more.
You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on into eternity, you don't need to have a high IQ. You don't have to have good looks or riches or come from a fine family or a fine school. Instead you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things--and one great all-embracing thing--and be set on fire by them.
--John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life (emphasis in passage mine)
In the end, all that will really matter, is do we know God and does He know us. This is what it will all come down to: Do you know Jesus and does He know you? That second part is as important as the first. No Ph.D, no houses, land, or other accumulated possessions will matter. I like how Jim Cowan says it in his song When It's All Been Said and Done:
When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth
Did I live my life for You
When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I've done for love's Reward
Will stand the test of time
This year, I long to live for Christ and Him alone, because knowing Him is all that matters. No matter what I accomplish here on earth, unless I know Him and live to love and glorify Him, I have nothing but wasted my life.
John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Knowing God is eternal life!
And thus a cross-centered, cross-exalting, cross-saturated life is a God-glorifying life--the only God-glorifying life. All others are wasted.
--John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
May we remember these words this coming year.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Making Room For God's Plans
I've been wanting to get this post up for over a week now. Finally, a few events are over, including our banquet and church's Christmas program, and many other things, so it feels really good to be able to slow down for a few days before going caroling and Christmas with all the things that come along with it.
Something God has been showing me is making room for His plans, for they are far greater than mine. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Another translation says "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Awhile ago, I was asked to do something that I have to honestly say I wasn't particularly thrilled about. However, allowed God to be in charge that evening, and did He ever do something incredible. I could very easily have gone my own way, but I would have missed out on a tremendous blessing.
God really does want to give us His very best if we are willing to surrender our lives to Him and make room for His plans.
Something God has been showing me is making room for His plans, for they are far greater than mine. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Another translation says "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Awhile ago, I was asked to do something that I have to honestly say I wasn't particularly thrilled about. However, allowed God to be in charge that evening, and did He ever do something incredible. I could very easily have gone my own way, but I would have missed out on a tremendous blessing.
God really does want to give us His very best if we are willing to surrender our lives to Him and make room for His plans.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Soon....
I've really been wanting to get another post in here, but I haven't had much time. Hopefully soon though.
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