As one who enjoys writing, I find it entirely frustrating when I have so much bubbling in my mind to say, yet when I sit to pour it all out, I end up with a mess. How I need a mental funnel! That said, let me attempt to put together a sensical post.
In his book, Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper talks about our God-given purpose on earth, the very reason we are here, which is to glorify God. Piper talks about the word "glorify," and how it is often misinterpreted. We tend to think that to glorify God is to "bring beauty" to Him. But, alas, we cannot add to God's beauty- it is impossible! Piper goes on to explore another definiteion of "glorify" which is to magnify. This can also be misleeding if we look to make the One True God bigger than He already is- another impossible task. However, if likened to the way a telescope magnifies, we would have a much better definition of our purpose. Piper writes, "With the Hubble Space Telescope, pinprick galaxies in the sky are revealed for the billion-star giants that they are. Magnifying God like that is worship....God created us for this: To live our lives in a way that makes Him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that He really is."
How often I have spouted the terms "To God's glory" "Be glorified, Lord." and so on, but without having ever stopped to consider what this truly means. Alongside that, we are to conform to the likeness of Christ, and in truth, if we are glorifying Him, we are "to image forth in the world what He is really like." So that causes me to ask of myself, "Am I bringing God glory? How much of myself, my life, causes others to see Christ when they look at me?" Whew. Yikes. (((slides down in chair))) This is something I DO ask myself often and its such a difficult answer to give. I hardly feel as though God is being adequately glorified, even if measured to the limited extent of my ability, but the other end of that, is when I am trying my very best to deflect ones attentions onto the Lord, where it properly belongs, my efforts seem fruitless. Constantly.
Here is my newest resolution. I resolve that I would not fit in. Should you line me up with 5,000,000 non-believers, that I would grossly stick out. That if the Lord should return to the Earth during my lifetime to scoop up His children from the world, that I would not so resemble the world that He would not be able to easily find me. And to that, should anyone be searching for their Savior, that Christ would be so prevalent in me that God could use my life to show Himself to that seeker, if that makes any sense.
Here, John Piper explains it better:
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Doing Hard Things
It's been quite a few weeks for me, spiritually. With exhausted eyes and a dilerious grin I'm happy to inform that the pretense of my opening sentence is a positive one. Perhaps it's even been, dare I say it, a defining moment in my life where the Lord has blessed my socks off by chiseling away a few more cement scales from my eyes and revealed to me a clearer, more precious joy than I have ever known. One not governed by circumstance or even feeling, but by the greater knowledge of the Most High, whom I seek to humbly serve and whom I delight in calling "Father."
I mentioned in my previous post, two life-changing resources that have helped to ignite this newfound joyous passion to step out of convenience-Christianity and discover and embrace the life of the radically obedient and radically blessed follower. The incredible, God-inspired insight of Beth Moore and Francis Chan are challenging its readers in a way that I hope spreads like wildfire through the lives of Christ-followers. I'd like to add another resource to the bucket.
Interestingly, I haven't read the book yet, so let me rather direct you to the ministry itself, started by teens and directed primarily for teenagers, these two boys have revolutionized the way I view adolescence years and have me devouring their blogposts like its my job. In an odd way, given that I'm raising three teenagers-to-be, I suppose it is. But the harvest of insight I'm reaping thus far has been entirely applicable to my own life! Ok, are you curious yet?
Since I'm still inept to turning the logo into a clickable shortcut to the website, let me direct you to: www.therebelution.com.
So what's the big deal about this ministry? In their book "Do Hard Things" and through their conferences they challenge teens (and subsequently ALL believers) to stop settling for the low expectations our current culture has set, and to raise the bar dramatically to live according to God's expectations. In case you were wondering, the two aren't even remotely close to one another.
I'll leave the website to explain how that is played out in a teen's life and share how I'm choosing to apply it as a simple, 27 year old, stay at home wife and mother of three. You see, in my neck of the woods, I'm a good girl. Not perfect, and nobody who knows me would dare suggest such a ridiculous thing, but for the most part I am more of a rule-follower than rule-breaker. I don't lie, steal, curse, fight, get drunk, let my kids drink soda from a sippy cup, etc. This, combined with trips to church once or twice a week would put me into the man-appointed category of being a "good Christian." Anything more than that, would most likely label me a "FREAK." And its within those two boundaries I have kept myself for FAR TOO LONG! Shattering the shackles of societical chains, such standards simply hold no appeal to me anymore. Label me a freak, outcast me, isolate me from the rest of the world- I don't care! Cuz when its all said and done, your opinions don't mean a blessed thing!
Now I'm beginning to truly understand what James 1:22 says,
"Do not merely listen to the Word and so decieve yourselves, do what it says."
I've read it a thousand times, nodded emphatically with a "yes, that's right, of course, amen." But applying it?! You mean REALLY loving the Lord with ALL my heart, soul, mind and body?! You mean really LOVING my ENEMIES?! You mean forsaking ALL else?! And what about "Deny yourself and take up the cross and follow me." -REALLY?!!! Deny myself, not exactly something I've ever been partial to doing. And that taking up my cross thing, that sounds kinda hard.... YES!!!! I can almost imagine the Lord leaping up from His throne, "Finally, she gets it!" Well, I can say I think I'm really starting to get it, there's SO MUCH more work to be done on this sinful soul.
Suddenly I'm seeing Scripture in a whole new light. Flipping through the New Testament I glance over verses underlined in the past, ones that provoked something within me, and even those, have taken on new meaning. I'm challenged to "Be careful, and watch yourselves so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart. But teach them to your children, and to their children." as Deuteronomy 4:9 instructs.
You might consider such a challenge for yourself, and you might be tempted to say its TOO hard or its TOO much work, but label that for what it is- exactly what the enemy would have you believe, and not for a moment an excuse you can back with Scripture. Let me offer you one more encouragement. I have known no greater joy than what I've experienced the past two weeks. They have hardly been without hardship, but the tired eyes, those are from hours spent in the Word- I can't get enough! God most assuredly will bless your radical obedience, and you can claim my heart's verse for yourself, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" 1 Peter 1:8.
I mentioned in my previous post, two life-changing resources that have helped to ignite this newfound joyous passion to step out of convenience-Christianity and discover and embrace the life of the radically obedient and radically blessed follower. The incredible, God-inspired insight of Beth Moore and Francis Chan are challenging its readers in a way that I hope spreads like wildfire through the lives of Christ-followers. I'd like to add another resource to the bucket.
Interestingly, I haven't read the book yet, so let me rather direct you to the ministry itself, started by teens and directed primarily for teenagers, these two boys have revolutionized the way I view adolescence years and have me devouring their blogposts like its my job. In an odd way, given that I'm raising three teenagers-to-be, I suppose it is. But the harvest of insight I'm reaping thus far has been entirely applicable to my own life! Ok, are you curious yet?
Since I'm still inept to turning the logo into a clickable shortcut to the website, let me direct you to: www.therebelution.com.
So what's the big deal about this ministry? In their book "Do Hard Things" and through their conferences they challenge teens (and subsequently ALL believers) to stop settling for the low expectations our current culture has set, and to raise the bar dramatically to live according to God's expectations. In case you were wondering, the two aren't even remotely close to one another.
I'll leave the website to explain how that is played out in a teen's life and share how I'm choosing to apply it as a simple, 27 year old, stay at home wife and mother of three. You see, in my neck of the woods, I'm a good girl. Not perfect, and nobody who knows me would dare suggest such a ridiculous thing, but for the most part I am more of a rule-follower than rule-breaker. I don't lie, steal, curse, fight, get drunk, let my kids drink soda from a sippy cup, etc. This, combined with trips to church once or twice a week would put me into the man-appointed category of being a "good Christian." Anything more than that, would most likely label me a "FREAK." And its within those two boundaries I have kept myself for FAR TOO LONG! Shattering the shackles of societical chains, such standards simply hold no appeal to me anymore. Label me a freak, outcast me, isolate me from the rest of the world- I don't care! Cuz when its all said and done, your opinions don't mean a blessed thing!
Now I'm beginning to truly understand what James 1:22 says,
"Do not merely listen to the Word and so decieve yourselves, do what it says."
I've read it a thousand times, nodded emphatically with a "yes, that's right, of course, amen." But applying it?! You mean REALLY loving the Lord with ALL my heart, soul, mind and body?! You mean really LOVING my ENEMIES?! You mean forsaking ALL else?! And what about "Deny yourself and take up the cross and follow me." -REALLY?!!! Deny myself, not exactly something I've ever been partial to doing. And that taking up my cross thing, that sounds kinda hard.... YES!!!! I can almost imagine the Lord leaping up from His throne, "Finally, she gets it!" Well, I can say I think I'm really starting to get it, there's SO MUCH more work to be done on this sinful soul.
Suddenly I'm seeing Scripture in a whole new light. Flipping through the New Testament I glance over verses underlined in the past, ones that provoked something within me, and even those, have taken on new meaning. I'm challenged to "Be careful, and watch yourselves so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart. But teach them to your children, and to their children." as Deuteronomy 4:9 instructs.
You might consider such a challenge for yourself, and you might be tempted to say its TOO hard or its TOO much work, but label that for what it is- exactly what the enemy would have you believe, and not for a moment an excuse you can back with Scripture. Let me offer you one more encouragement. I have known no greater joy than what I've experienced the past two weeks. They have hardly been without hardship, but the tired eyes, those are from hours spent in the Word- I can't get enough! God most assuredly will bless your radical obedience, and you can claim my heart's verse for yourself, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" 1 Peter 1:8.
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