A well-put exhortation to feast on the Word of God:
"Dwell ever among the green pastures of the Word of God. Make it indeed your bosom companion. Feed on the Scriptures till they come to be incorporated with your spiritual being. Not only pray and read, but pray reading, with your Bible open before you, gazing into its exceeding great and precious things, waiting till you apprehend them, or rather, till they apprehend you - literally 'getting them by heart' (as our expressive phrase is) longing to say with David, 'I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil', and with Jeremiah, 'Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart' (Psa. 119:162; Jer. 15:16)."
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Weariness and worship
I've been reading a great little book recently called The Ministry, by Charles Brown, a Scottish pastor in the 1800s. Much of what he says applies directly to ministers, but also has relevance for all Christians. I might string together a few great quotes over the next few days for your edification.
This first one jumped off the page at me and got me thinking about its implications not for public worship (which was Brown's intention) but for private worship (personal Bible reading, prayer, meditation on the Bible reading, etc.). In speaking about the inordinate length of some public prayers, Brown cautioned, "When weariness begins, devotion ends." When weariness begins in the worshipper (due to "unduly prolonged prayers"), it dampens a devotional spirit in the worshipper.
Boy is that true in private worship as well, and in all of life. When we are weary and tired, it is so much harder for us to be attentive to God's Word and to be earnest in prayer. We are more prone to be downcast, and to listen to the inner sermon of unbelief rather than the refreshing and reinvigorating truth of the Word. I think we should praise God that our access to Him is based not on our physical or emotional condition, but on the finished work of our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). And when we are weary, we should recognize our heightened vulnerability to fleshly-mindedness, and lean hard into the grace of God for help and strength.
This first one jumped off the page at me and got me thinking about its implications not for public worship (which was Brown's intention) but for private worship (personal Bible reading, prayer, meditation on the Bible reading, etc.). In speaking about the inordinate length of some public prayers, Brown cautioned, "When weariness begins, devotion ends." When weariness begins in the worshipper (due to "unduly prolonged prayers"), it dampens a devotional spirit in the worshipper.
Boy is that true in private worship as well, and in all of life. When we are weary and tired, it is so much harder for us to be attentive to God's Word and to be earnest in prayer. We are more prone to be downcast, and to listen to the inner sermon of unbelief rather than the refreshing and reinvigorating truth of the Word. I think we should praise God that our access to Him is based not on our physical or emotional condition, but on the finished work of our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). And when we are weary, we should recognize our heightened vulnerability to fleshly-mindedness, and lean hard into the grace of God for help and strength.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Of Walmart and God's Calling
Our Super Walmart is a crazy place. Mysteriously, it is always crowded. It is a cross-cultural experience. It is a great training ground for virtues like patience and humility.
However, the one time (it seems) that it is not busy is early on Monday mornings, and therefore that is the time that Kristen and the boys typically do the weekly grocery shopping for our family. We usually have our regular morning routine all together, and then I leave for work at the same time they leave for the store (just before 8am). Kristen pulls out, then I pull out, and I follow them out of our court, down Gayton Road about a hundred feet, and then down Blue Jay Lane about a hundred feet, at which time Kristen turns right, and I keep going straight. That moment is often a defining moment in my week.
It's at that moment that I'm often awakened to the fact that we are called by God to do the things we are doing. In God's wise providence, He has called me to be a pastor (among other things), and He has called Kristen to be a mother/homemaker (among other things). She goes right, to Walmart. I go straight, to the church. We go our separate ways, but our ultimate purpose is not separate, but aligned: to glorify and enjoy God through the Spirit-empowered fulfillment of our God-given roles. Both callings, by God's appointment, are vital in the expansion of God's kingdom and are thus significant in His eyes. There are a million implications of this, but I'll leave that to you to think through.
Like I said, that moment is often a defining moment in my week. I'm grateful for it as a continual reminder, because boy do I need it.
However, the one time (it seems) that it is not busy is early on Monday mornings, and therefore that is the time that Kristen and the boys typically do the weekly grocery shopping for our family. We usually have our regular morning routine all together, and then I leave for work at the same time they leave for the store (just before 8am). Kristen pulls out, then I pull out, and I follow them out of our court, down Gayton Road about a hundred feet, and then down Blue Jay Lane about a hundred feet, at which time Kristen turns right, and I keep going straight. That moment is often a defining moment in my week.
It's at that moment that I'm often awakened to the fact that we are called by God to do the things we are doing. In God's wise providence, He has called me to be a pastor (among other things), and He has called Kristen to be a mother/homemaker (among other things). She goes right, to Walmart. I go straight, to the church. We go our separate ways, but our ultimate purpose is not separate, but aligned: to glorify and enjoy God through the Spirit-empowered fulfillment of our God-given roles. Both callings, by God's appointment, are vital in the expansion of God's kingdom and are thus significant in His eyes. There are a million implications of this, but I'll leave that to you to think through.
Like I said, that moment is often a defining moment in my week. I'm grateful for it as a continual reminder, because boy do I need it.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Take 5 minutes for this
I just came across some great 5-minute interviews of David Powlison (by C.J. Mahaney), and they are fabulous...very insightful and convicting/encouraging. Here they are:
- A Narrated Bibliography with David Powlison (this one is actually about an hour).
- Good Advice vs. Good News (4:41).
- Cravings and Conflict (7:19).
- What Is Real vs. What I Feel (5:45).
- The Value of Human Emotion (5:28).
I recommend you start with Good Advice vs. Good News to get a flavor for the content, and I trust you will be edified.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Am I influencing you for good or ill?
Some of you may be familiar with the curriculum called Changing Hearts Changing Lives, put out by the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation, and taught by David Powlison and Paul David Tripp. It's a DVD of thirteen 30-minutes sessions, and Kristen and I have just started working through it together. I've watched most of the sessions previously, and I highly recommend it (and I look forward to watching and discussing the rest of them with Kristen).
It is basically about biblical counseling and the role that each of us play in helping one another along in our growth in Christ. Here are the 2 foundational assumptions that were communicated in the first session, about our lives as believers:
It is basically about biblical counseling and the role that each of us play in helping one another along in our growth in Christ. Here are the 2 foundational assumptions that were communicated in the first session, about our lives as believers:
- All of us are people in need of change.
- God has called all of us to be instruments of change in his redemptive hands.
One big takeaway for me was the biblical truth that, in one sense, all of life is counseling. We are constantly giving and receiving counsel, either knowingly and directly or unknowingly and indirectly. We are all influencing each other to one degree or another, so an important question to ask is, Am I influencing you for good or ill? Am I pointing you to Christ as your source of hope and joy, or to something else? As Tripp put it, "You are influencing people every day. The question is: Is that influence Biblical?"
Friday, October 23, 2009
Cultivating God-honoring humility
We recently went on a beach weekend with some of the young adults from our church, to Corolla, NC. 24 adults in one house, plus one Owen and one Baxter. It was lots of fun. Here is the group shot we took at the end of the weekend.
I taught 3 sessions on Cultivating Humility, using much of C.J. Mahaney's book, Humility: True Greatness (I highly recommend this book). It seemed to be a fruitful time of learning and discussion (each teaching time was followed by a time of small group discussion/application). C.J.'s handy definition of true, God-honoring humility is this: "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." Isaiah 6:1-7 is a good place to go in Scripture for this.
I think it can only help us to ask ourselves at any given moment, "Am I presently motivated by pride or by humility?...am I big right now (in my estimation) and God small, or is God big right now and me small?...who is currently at the center of my universe: God, or me?", and to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace and power to change.
I taught 3 sessions on Cultivating Humility, using much of C.J. Mahaney's book, Humility: True Greatness (I highly recommend this book). It seemed to be a fruitful time of learning and discussion (each teaching time was followed by a time of small group discussion/application). C.J.'s handy definition of true, God-honoring humility is this: "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." Isaiah 6:1-7 is a good place to go in Scripture for this.
I think it can only help us to ask ourselves at any given moment, "Am I presently motivated by pride or by humility?...am I big right now (in my estimation) and God small, or is God big right now and me small?...who is currently at the center of my universe: God, or me?", and to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace and power to change.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sick, but not destroyed
I've been sick now for a few days, thankfully not with any version of the flu. I usually get pretty knocked out, and a terrible sore throat starts in sometime around the 2nd day (like right now).
One thought/prayer that the Lord has used to help me immensely is this: that I can be more driven and influenced by the Holy Spirit who dwells within me than by my physical body which is experiencing one of the effects of living in a sin-wrecked, fallen world. As unpleasant and sometimes painful as my current experience is (and it is very minor compared to the sufferings of others), because of the victorious work of Christ I can walk by the Spirit and not be downcast in soul because of the infirmity of my body.
I'm sick right now (as perhaps some of you are as well!) because I live in a world of sin, but I am not under the dominion of sin or its effects because of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross for me. As often as I can remember that, and believe that, I can be sick, but not destroyed (2 Cor 4:7-12).
One thought/prayer that the Lord has used to help me immensely is this: that I can be more driven and influenced by the Holy Spirit who dwells within me than by my physical body which is experiencing one of the effects of living in a sin-wrecked, fallen world. As unpleasant and sometimes painful as my current experience is (and it is very minor compared to the sufferings of others), because of the victorious work of Christ I can walk by the Spirit and not be downcast in soul because of the infirmity of my body.
I'm sick right now (as perhaps some of you are as well!) because I live in a world of sin, but I am not under the dominion of sin or its effects because of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross for me. As often as I can remember that, and believe that, I can be sick, but not destroyed (2 Cor 4:7-12).
Starting again
A good pastor-friend of mine once gave me a simple and practical encouragement to persevere in a much-neglected daily Bible reading schedule by saying, "If you stop 1,000 times, just make sure you start 1,001 times!"
So, after about a 3-month break, I'm starting again on this blog. I hope to post things on here quite regularly that are a bit more brief and stream of consciousness-like. I know it will benefit me, and I hope that it will benefit you as well.
So, after about a 3-month break, I'm starting again on this blog. I hope to post things on here quite regularly that are a bit more brief and stream of consciousness-like. I know it will benefit me, and I hope that it will benefit you as well.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A lesson in trusting God
God taught me a striking lesson earlier this afternoon. I had just come home from work, and Kristen and the boys were not home yet from running an errand (to the park). Sitting in a chair upstairs in our room, I felt overwhelmed by all the things I had on my plate at work (you know the feeling, the unpleasant snowball effect of contemplating many tasks at once while forgetting that they don't all need to be done at once and that God actually does exist). I was mentally and emotionally exhausted, and I just thought to myself, "I can't do this, I don't have it in me right now" (which is a vague way of saying that I was thoroughly spent and did not have the emotional supply I thought was necessary to fulfill my calling as a husband and father to the occupants of the minivan that had just pulled into the driveway).
I called out to God in prayer for help, but I realized something. In asking God for help, I don't think I was actually trusting in Him or leaning upon Him, but rather was trusting in and leaning on the change in emotional status I was anticipating as a result of His helping me. I did not want God, I wanted a particular emotional condition, one that would enable me to be self-sufficient for the rest of the evening. But God's design in that moment, it seems, was for me to realize that He is all-sufficient. My trust is to be ultimately in Him, not in His help. Though it is not biblically improper to strongly desire His help, or a change in emotional condition, or a change of circumstance, etc., if a stronger desire for God Himself is not behind it, then it can be idolatry, and using God as a means of exalting self. This was a good lesson learned, and I am grateful to the Lord for it.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
God is better than hamburgers
Tonight we had somewhat of a breakthrough in our family worship time. We typically do this after dinner, though it is sometimes hard to maintain in the midst of a busy week. When we do gather for this time, it usually looks more like Owen and Daddy worship rather than Whole-Family worship, since Kristen is on Baxter and Baxter is everywhere. But tonight, Baxter had a breakthrough experience of content, joyous, and relatively focused participation in family worship. (By the way, our family worship time isn't anything spectacular, just a brief prayer, a hymn that Daddy picks, a reading and explanation of probably 1-2 verses of Scripture, a question or 2 from the kids' catechism, a song that Owen picks, and a closing prayer...maybe 5-10 minutes total.)
The point at which Baxter was most fully engaged was when Kristen and I were asking our 2 boys a series of questions flowing out of the first part of Psalm 119:12: "Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!" We would say, "Boys, which is better: hamburgers, or God?", to which they would respond "GOD!!!" (Baxter: "GAAAHHH!!!" with right hand raised high pointing to the ceiling [we will eventually straighten out his current view that the presence of Almighty God is centralized in our family room ceiling]).
But as is often the case, what I was saying to our boys actually helped and humbled me a great deal. Which do I think or feel or act-as-if is better: God, or hamburgers...God, or Dairy Queen...God, or Alias (yes, we are watching old seasons...thank you Netflix)...God, or (fill in the blank)? I need to believe the Scriptures that "Your steadfast love is better than life" (Psalm 63:3), and "in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11), and "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Any joyful experience of hamburgers or any other created thing must be a joyful experience of God as the one who gives those good gifts, and whose goodness is displayed continually to us through them. God is better than hamburgers.
The point at which Baxter was most fully engaged was when Kristen and I were asking our 2 boys a series of questions flowing out of the first part of Psalm 119:12: "Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!" We would say, "Boys, which is better: hamburgers, or God?", to which they would respond "GOD!!!" (Baxter: "GAAAHHH!!!" with right hand raised high pointing to the ceiling [we will eventually straighten out his current view that the presence of Almighty God is centralized in our family room ceiling]).
But as is often the case, what I was saying to our boys actually helped and humbled me a great deal. Which do I think or feel or act-as-if is better: God, or hamburgers...God, or Dairy Queen...God, or Alias (yes, we are watching old seasons...thank you Netflix)...God, or (fill in the blank)? I need to believe the Scriptures that "Your steadfast love is better than life" (Psalm 63:3), and "in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11), and "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Any joyful experience of hamburgers or any other created thing must be a joyful experience of God as the one who gives those good gifts, and whose goodness is displayed continually to us through them. God is better than hamburgers.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Possessive-pronoun Christianity
Martin Luther once said, "The life of Christianity consists in possessive pronouns." In other words, the vitality or essence of genuine Christianity centers around whether you can truthfully and sincerely say, not just "Jesus is the Savior of sinners," but "Jesus is my Savior from my sin" (my being the 1st person possessive pronoun).
This is true for the beginning of the Christian life, which is marked by personal trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ (His life, death, and resurrection as a substitute and representative for sinners). Recognizing that we are willful and active sinners who stand under the terrible wrath of our perfectly holy and just Creator God, we humbly and wholeheartedly entrust ourselves to the only solution to our problem of sin, Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross. In receiving and depending upon Him alone for salvation, we are saying, "Jesus is my Savior from my sin and its consequences and its power and ultimately its presence."
This is true also for the continuation of the Christian life, which is marked by continued trust and utter dependence upon God. "The LORD is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1). "I say to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you'" (Psalm 16:2). Etc.
If you are uncertain of where you stand spiritually (i.e., whether or not you are currently standing under the just wrath of God, or whether you are standing under His grace through Christ by faith, Romans 5:1-2), then I encourage you to consider whether you have truly embraced Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sin. Believe in Christ. Receive Him. Come to Him. Entrust yourself to Him. Possess possessive-pronoun Christianity.
If you are already in Christ, then I encourage you to consider the impact of this insight from Luther (really, from God in Scripture) upon your daily living. Do you live like God is your God, like the Lord is your shepherd, like He is your Creator and Redeemer, your sustainer, your provider, your strength and shield, your guide and friend, your highest joy? I encourage you to inject this insight into key spots of your day, such as straightaway when you wake up, when you face adversity, whenever you pray, and when your head hits the pillow at night. In His gracious plan of redemption, God has taken the initiative to make us His people (Jeremiah 31:33), and so should we not make and keep Him our God?
This is true for the beginning of the Christian life, which is marked by personal trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ (His life, death, and resurrection as a substitute and representative for sinners). Recognizing that we are willful and active sinners who stand under the terrible wrath of our perfectly holy and just Creator God, we humbly and wholeheartedly entrust ourselves to the only solution to our problem of sin, Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross. In receiving and depending upon Him alone for salvation, we are saying, "Jesus is my Savior from my sin and its consequences and its power and ultimately its presence."
This is true also for the continuation of the Christian life, which is marked by continued trust and utter dependence upon God. "The LORD is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1). "I say to the LORD, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you'" (Psalm 16:2). Etc.
If you are uncertain of where you stand spiritually (i.e., whether or not you are currently standing under the just wrath of God, or whether you are standing under His grace through Christ by faith, Romans 5:1-2), then I encourage you to consider whether you have truly embraced Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sin. Believe in Christ. Receive Him. Come to Him. Entrust yourself to Him. Possess possessive-pronoun Christianity.
If you are already in Christ, then I encourage you to consider the impact of this insight from Luther (really, from God in Scripture) upon your daily living. Do you live like God is your God, like the Lord is your shepherd, like He is your Creator and Redeemer, your sustainer, your provider, your strength and shield, your guide and friend, your highest joy? I encourage you to inject this insight into key spots of your day, such as straightaway when you wake up, when you face adversity, whenever you pray, and when your head hits the pillow at night. In His gracious plan of redemption, God has taken the initiative to make us His people (Jeremiah 31:33), and so should we not make and keep Him our God?
Thunder and the Sovereignty of God
Owen and thunder don't get along too well. In fact, I don't believe there is anything in this universe that he is more scared of. Tonight there was thunder at the Purdy house.
It took quite a bit of praying and comforting and story-reading and window-checking, but he finally went down ok. As I sat down on the couch to a good book (Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Currid), I realized something about the whole situation. Owen was calm mainly because the thunder had stopped, but at any moment it could start again. In an instant, our whole night could change. This was especially striking to me because in sitting down to a good book, I was subconsciously (then consciously) finding my hope and satisfaction in the absence of thunder and the presence of a good book. How would I respond if suddenly the thunder returned, and I needed to help my son for another 30 minutes? Every single clap of thunder falls under the sovereign rule and plan of almighty God (i.e., whenever it thunders, it is God who has made it thunder, Job 38, Psalm 104). Would I respond with self-centered discontentment, since my will is being crossed? Or would I respond with prayerful and trusting contentment, knowing that God's will (that it thunder and that I put my book down and help my sweet son) is infinitely wiser and better than mine. "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42) was Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsamane, and I realized that I should have the same posture of heart.
I did not have to fear what the next moment would bring (or, what God would bring in the next moment). Though it did not thunder and Owen went calmly and quickly to sleep, it was a steadying and peace-giving comfort to know that I live under the sovereign hand of God. This God "does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" (Daniel 4:35). He also "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Even thunder claps.
It took quite a bit of praying and comforting and story-reading and window-checking, but he finally went down ok. As I sat down on the couch to a good book (Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Currid), I realized something about the whole situation. Owen was calm mainly because the thunder had stopped, but at any moment it could start again. In an instant, our whole night could change. This was especially striking to me because in sitting down to a good book, I was subconsciously (then consciously) finding my hope and satisfaction in the absence of thunder and the presence of a good book. How would I respond if suddenly the thunder returned, and I needed to help my son for another 30 minutes? Every single clap of thunder falls under the sovereign rule and plan of almighty God (i.e., whenever it thunders, it is God who has made it thunder, Job 38, Psalm 104). Would I respond with self-centered discontentment, since my will is being crossed? Or would I respond with prayerful and trusting contentment, knowing that God's will (that it thunder and that I put my book down and help my sweet son) is infinitely wiser and better than mine. "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42) was Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsamane, and I realized that I should have the same posture of heart.
I did not have to fear what the next moment would bring (or, what God would bring in the next moment). Though it did not thunder and Owen went calmly and quickly to sleep, it was a steadying and peace-giving comfort to know that I live under the sovereign hand of God. This God "does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" (Daniel 4:35). He also "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Even thunder claps.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Right and wrong exhaustion
It's just me and the boys this weekend. Kristen is away on a weekend trip with the girls she lived with in college, and we are grateful that she can be there. However, it hasn't been easy. I've been pretty sick, along with Baxter, and Owen says he is sick, though he hasn't shown any symptoms (though when asked, he does give a staggering list of symptoms which would foil the most capable diagnostician, such as "I'm sick in my mouth, but it comes in my throat and goes out my mouth when I cough..."). Needless to say, I'm exhausted tonight. (By the way, these trips are great for a number of reasons, including the chance to get some quality "boy play time," as Owen calls it, as well as the chance to experience what it's like every day for Kristen...motherhood is indeed a high and valuable and thoroughly-exhausting calling!)
But is it wrong to be exhausted after a long day of taking care of children? Kristen and I talked about this recently. I think there is a right exhaustion and a wrong exhaustion. There is a kind of godly, biblically-faithful, and God-honoring exhaustion, and there is a kind of ungodly, unbiblical, and self-exalting exhaustion. The difference centers mainly around where we have been drawing our strength from in our labors. If our source of strength throughout the day has been ourselves, then we will often end up exhausted with the kind of exhaustion that leaves a bad taste in our mouth. It's the kind of exhaustion that is hopeless and unsatisfying. But if our source of strength throughout the day has been the Lord, then we will close the day with a sweet, peaceful, fulfilling kind of exhaustion. That is a hope-filled and satisfying exhaustion, stemming from the honest and humble realization that the day's energies have been fully spent for the glory of God.
If we are fulfilling our God-given callings with all diligence, faithfulness, and humble dependence on God and "the strength that He supplies" (1 Peter 4:11, Ephesians 6:10), then it is right for us to be exhausted. In a very real sense, we should be exhausted in this way.
When we are exhausted, I think we should be asking ourselves, "Am I exhausted because I've been living my day as if God didn't exist, self-sufficient and relying on the wisdom of man? Or am I exhausted because I've been vigorously carrying out the roles and responsibilities God has given to me, looking to Him continually for supplies of grace and strength, spending myself for the advancement of His kingdom, and living with all my might while I do live?" (Jonathan Edwards, Resolution #6). Next time you sigh that big sigh, or speak about how exhausted you are to your spouse or friend, take a moment to consider these things, asking the Holy Spirit to convict you of the sin of self-sufficiency and to enable you to live out Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
But is it wrong to be exhausted after a long day of taking care of children? Kristen and I talked about this recently. I think there is a right exhaustion and a wrong exhaustion. There is a kind of godly, biblically-faithful, and God-honoring exhaustion, and there is a kind of ungodly, unbiblical, and self-exalting exhaustion. The difference centers mainly around where we have been drawing our strength from in our labors. If our source of strength throughout the day has been ourselves, then we will often end up exhausted with the kind of exhaustion that leaves a bad taste in our mouth. It's the kind of exhaustion that is hopeless and unsatisfying. But if our source of strength throughout the day has been the Lord, then we will close the day with a sweet, peaceful, fulfilling kind of exhaustion. That is a hope-filled and satisfying exhaustion, stemming from the honest and humble realization that the day's energies have been fully spent for the glory of God.
If we are fulfilling our God-given callings with all diligence, faithfulness, and humble dependence on God and "the strength that He supplies" (1 Peter 4:11, Ephesians 6:10), then it is right for us to be exhausted. In a very real sense, we should be exhausted in this way.
When we are exhausted, I think we should be asking ourselves, "Am I exhausted because I've been living my day as if God didn't exist, self-sufficient and relying on the wisdom of man? Or am I exhausted because I've been vigorously carrying out the roles and responsibilities God has given to me, looking to Him continually for supplies of grace and strength, spending myself for the advancement of His kingdom, and living with all my might while I do live?" (Jonathan Edwards, Resolution #6). Next time you sigh that big sigh, or speak about how exhausted you are to your spouse or friend, take a moment to consider these things, asking the Holy Spirit to convict you of the sin of self-sufficiency and to enable you to live out Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"I am living for _____."
So Kristen and I had an intriguing (and brief) conversation this morning as we were driving in the car with our 2 boys. We had just stopped into Starbucks on our way to the church, where Kristen and Owen and Baxter attend a Tuesday morning women’s Bible study called Wellspring (the boys, being boys, don’t attend…there is a nursery we like to call “Bible study”). Kristen had been the one to go inside to get our drinks (thank you disappointingly-finite gift card!), and she was now telling me about her experience. She made a comment about how interesting it is to see who visits Starbucks at 9:00am on a Tuesday morning (e.g., the post-school-drop-off Moms initiating their to-do list activities with a nice Starbucks treat), and then said, “I wish there could be some kind of ticker above everyone’s head, that says how often they come to Starbucks each week, and how much they spend on coffee, and what they are off to do that morning.” (We make these kinds of comments to each other often, especially when we are driving on the highway, wondering where everyone is going, and what they are doing, and what their story is.) The thought that popped into my mind right then arrested me because it was so challenging to me. I said to Kristen, “I wonder what it would be like if the ticker said, ‘Right now, I am living for _____’.” We kind of sat in silence for a few moments, then made a few comments about how convicting and challenging that is to us, and then I think Owen interjected an unrelated comment and we ended up wondering together about how often firefighters wash their fire trucks (and why).
But isn’t that a good challenge for us to consider? How would you finish that statement, right this very moment? “I am living for _____ right now.” How we fill in that blank cuts right to the heart of the matter. What is it that drives us? What fuels us? What is it that keeps us going? What or who are we living for? Are we ultimately living for ourselves, or for our Creator and Redeemer? This morning, my ticker would have run something like this: “Right now, I am living for the self-focused momentary physical pleasure of a tall Java Chip Frappucino and the anticipation of the satisfaction (however fleeting) of clearing my email inbox so that they are zero unread messages.” I honestly don’t think it went very far beyond that. I was living for myself. (Important nuance: it is not that we can’t thoroughly enjoy a Frappucino as a gracious gift from God and an incomparable but helpful glimmer of the goodness of His character, or that we can’t vigorously apply ourselves to the God-given tasks that we have, laboring diligently as unto Him and not unto men…that just wasn’t the posture of my heart this morning.)
Our merciful God tells us in His Word, in a rich variety of ways, how we should fill in that blank. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). We should be able to say, “Right now, I am living for the glory of God.” And if at any time or in the midst of any task we can’t say that, we should ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin, we should turn to Jesus Christ in full repentance, and we should seek His grace and strength to change us and enable us to live for Him and not for ourselves. We should resolve, along with Jonathan Edwards, “never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer [allow] it, if I can possibly avoid it.” Our times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15); we are not our own but have been bought with a price and so are to glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, I urge you to ask yourself frequently, “What would my ticker say right now?” And allow God to do His mighty work on your heart and life.
But isn’t that a good challenge for us to consider? How would you finish that statement, right this very moment? “I am living for _____ right now.” How we fill in that blank cuts right to the heart of the matter. What is it that drives us? What fuels us? What is it that keeps us going? What or who are we living for? Are we ultimately living for ourselves, or for our Creator and Redeemer? This morning, my ticker would have run something like this: “Right now, I am living for the self-focused momentary physical pleasure of a tall Java Chip Frappucino and the anticipation of the satisfaction (however fleeting) of clearing my email inbox so that they are zero unread messages.” I honestly don’t think it went very far beyond that. I was living for myself. (Important nuance: it is not that we can’t thoroughly enjoy a Frappucino as a gracious gift from God and an incomparable but helpful glimmer of the goodness of His character, or that we can’t vigorously apply ourselves to the God-given tasks that we have, laboring diligently as unto Him and not unto men…that just wasn’t the posture of my heart this morning.)
Our merciful God tells us in His Word, in a rich variety of ways, how we should fill in that blank. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). We should be able to say, “Right now, I am living for the glory of God.” And if at any time or in the midst of any task we can’t say that, we should ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin, we should turn to Jesus Christ in full repentance, and we should seek His grace and strength to change us and enable us to live for Him and not for ourselves. We should resolve, along with Jonathan Edwards, “never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer [allow] it, if I can possibly avoid it.” Our times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15); we are not our own but have been bought with a price and so are to glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, I urge you to ask yourself frequently, “What would my ticker say right now?” And allow God to do His mighty work on your heart and life.
Welcome
Welcome to my first blog ever! Having been encouraged to start a blog by a few different sources (mainly my sweet wife, Kristen), I decided to try my hand at it. I can't promise how often I will put something up here, but my main goal is to offer brief and edifying meditations on living life for God and before God. By "front burner," I mean those lines of thinking that are on the forefront of my mind that I discern would be of some benefit to you as the reader. I hope you will enjoy the material and that the Lord will use it to challenge you, to inform your thinking, and to increase your joy in our great God.
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