Time. We don't have enough of it. I've been reading about commitment to Christ, evangelism, organization, and what to do with my down time. All of it thoroughly convicting. Why? Because God has shown me that I am a self-focused slug who isn't going to accomplish anything with her life unless I change my patterns. Patterns of thinking, patterns of focus, patterns of time spent. I am a very passionate person - why not use that energy to pursue Christ. Well, there's the cost. What cost? Fellowship with God, denial of self, true and lasting peace and happiness, joy during hard times, assurance that my life is counting for something.
I think I have spent a lot of my Christian life looking at things from the wrong spectrum. Not all of my life, granted but some parts. Christ is all that matters. Period. We get this vague concept that we can play around with surrendering different areas of life. I've discovered that doesn't work. You think, sinfully, that God is only concerned about the big areas, but to God all sin is big sin. Unfortunately, I've listened to myself too much and not to the truth of Scripture, which is to "put to death" certain things. We are a new creation.
Unless you surrender all to Christ, then you will never truly live as you ought. You will believe a lie instead of truth. You will be getting power from the wrong power supply. Your flesh. Just like a computer does not work without the correct power supply, so your life will not function properly if you are ignoring the Spirit and drawing upon the flesh. What is it you treasure? What is it you fear which is why you do not surrender? There is a saying that says "At the heart of all sin is unbelief." Your actions and priorities, as I have been learning lately from a counselor, reveal what you believe. So important then is the request by David for God to:
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:24-25
As a side note, this would be good to pray as well. I know I need it!
Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Psalm 12:9
04 August 2010
03 August 2010
Trivial Pursuits
Hopelessness. I read it on the face of a teenage girl I saw in City Market. You read in the eyes of movie stars, of politicians, of millionaires: those who seem to have it all in the world's estimation. What do they have going for them than the vain opinions of those around them? While I was camping, I thought about the fact that we have hope. HOPE.
Consider the untold numbers fighting and dying, sweating and bleeding zealously for a cause which contains no hope. None whatsoever. They hold manmade satisfaction thinking that they can find God through rituals, through leaders, through "good" works, but the whole time they miss the whole point. They miss Him. They miss the depravity of self. They miss the hope of the gospel which is that God loves us despite ourselves. We are not worthy. Anything we have came from him any way.
While reading the book, Disciplines of The Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund, one part really struck me. She had been talking about how you should pursue learning about your "special interest" such as "Housekeeping. . .High-diving. . . ." Following her discussion on this she says:
"Most important, every Christian needs to become a specialist in God! Many of your magazines, books, and papers need to
feed your spirit. These lives of ours are to get us ready for eternity, you know!"
Eternity.
If I based my life on the concept of eternal rewards, of an eternity with GOD, of billions dying without correct knowledge of eternity, then how would my priorities change? What would I pursue? God creates this desire to know him more, to be focused on eternity. But we need to feed the flame. Nuture what God is doing in your life. So maybe you know he wants you to spend more time with him. That means getting up earlier so you're not distracted by your siblings. That's hard. That means going to bed earlier, as Dr. Minnick suggested. But wait, that means giving up doing things that sound fun (just one more movie! just one more game of Blitz!). But isn't it worth it?
Does this mean we can't pursue things that we like? Of course we can! God gave us talents and desires, interests and like, ambitions and goals for his glory and our pleasure. But sometimes, when I pursue them, I am missing the point. Or, I let it become a god in my life which leads to the exclusion of loving others like Christ does. It leads to focusing on that passion. Use your passions for God, yes, but don't worship them.
Scripture says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). What am I pursuing? John 4:35 "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." I have to ask myself, Am I preparing myself to pick them? Am I making myself available to pick them? What am I doing with my free time?
Consider the untold numbers fighting and dying, sweating and bleeding zealously for a cause which contains no hope. None whatsoever. They hold manmade satisfaction thinking that they can find God through rituals, through leaders, through "good" works, but the whole time they miss the whole point. They miss Him. They miss the depravity of self. They miss the hope of the gospel which is that God loves us despite ourselves. We are not worthy. Anything we have came from him any way.
While reading the book, Disciplines of The Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund, one part really struck me. She had been talking about how you should pursue learning about your "special interest" such as "Housekeeping. . .High-diving. . . ." Following her discussion on this she says:
"Most important, every Christian needs to become a specialist in God! Many of your magazines, books, and papers need to
feed your spirit. These lives of ours are to get us ready for eternity, you know!"
Eternity.
If I based my life on the concept of eternal rewards, of an eternity with GOD, of billions dying without correct knowledge of eternity, then how would my priorities change? What would I pursue? God creates this desire to know him more, to be focused on eternity. But we need to feed the flame. Nuture what God is doing in your life. So maybe you know he wants you to spend more time with him. That means getting up earlier so you're not distracted by your siblings. That's hard. That means going to bed earlier, as Dr. Minnick suggested. But wait, that means giving up doing things that sound fun (just one more movie! just one more game of Blitz!). But isn't it worth it?
Does this mean we can't pursue things that we like? Of course we can! God gave us talents and desires, interests and like, ambitions and goals for his glory and our pleasure. But sometimes, when I pursue them, I am missing the point. Or, I let it become a god in my life which leads to the exclusion of loving others like Christ does. It leads to focusing on that passion. Use your passions for God, yes, but don't worship them.
Scripture says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). What am I pursuing? John 4:35 "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." I have to ask myself, Am I preparing myself to pick them? Am I making myself available to pick them? What am I doing with my free time?
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