The day I sigh and sag hard over the tarnished things I have chalked up to having some flimsy value, sitting there with Keller’s words, I think of Daddy’s ruby ring again:
“If you are a Christian and you are dealing with enslaving habits, it’s not enough to say, ‘Bad Christian, stop it.’ And it is not enough to beat yourself up or merely try harder and harder and harder.
The real reason that you’re having a problem with an enslaving habit is because you are not tasting God. I’m not talking about believing God or even obeying God, I’m saying tasting — tasting God.
The secret to freedom from enslaving patterns of sin is worship. You need worship. You need great worship. You need weeping worship. You need glorious worship.
You need to sense God’s greatness and to be moved by it — moved to tears and moved to laughter — moved by who God is and what he has done for you. And this needs to be happening all the time.” (Tim Keller)
How is your other half? @ The Art of Simple
We all have a heavy half. The half that needs to get things done, that’s responsible, accountable. It’s the half that makes sure the kids get to school on time, won’t forget to pack snacks for the doctors appointment, pays the bills, turns up to work every day, sweeps the floor, mows the lawn and cooks dinner.
But what about your other half?
The half that is passionate, creative, spontaneous? The half that makes out with your husband, wears red lipstick, writes poetry, dances in the kitchen, dreams of great big trips, and reads for fun?
The half that fills you out and makes you balanced, well-rounded, whole. How’s that half going?
Surrender to the Kingdom of Community @ SortaCrunchy
And so when my pastor says that The Beatitudes were meant to crush individuals, I hear it how it is meant to be - an affront to those of us discipled in the rugged individualism of our culture.
A loving devotion to individualism runs rampant in the Western Church. "My Jesus, My Savior," "my relationship with Christ," "Jesus Loves Me." I, me, my, mine. We speak of the life in Christ in the first person because that is our first language, our native tongue.
And you know what? There's nothing theologically inerrant about applying Christ's words in that way, I suppose. But i have to think it's woefully lacking the fullness of what Christ imagined for his followers. Yes, we have the indwelling Spirit of God to minister to us along the way, but as we have discussed, it is in the serving of others - and the allowing ourselves to be served by others - that mysterious Kingdom of God moves from hopeful idealism to 3D reality.
I'm Not a Revolutionary. I Just Play One on the Internet. @ A Deeper Story
It is even more disconcerting to know that my trail of words is still there, leading to Joys who mostly exist in my rear view mirror.
Yes, I used to think I could argue you to my point of view. Today, I try to remind myself how long change takes, because I know how long it took me. Past Joys wanted you to change. Today’s Joy wants to understand and hopes that you will take the time to understand me, so that we can both acknowledge and honor the journeys that brought us where we are.
I remember not to judge you by your words alone because they may have been written by a different you. Neither of us have arrived, by any stretch.
I’m just another version of Joy, wondering when the next one will begin to emerge.
No comments:
Post a Comment