February 1, 2013

  • A Complacent Faith . . . .

    HoHmHotl10-10ImagebyThomasHawk http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/2.0/deed.en                                                                                                                                                                         behavior.  We keep it close at hand and dearly embrace it--for a while. But somehow through the course of living, the dust begins to settle and the surge of enthusiasm that this truth had once stirred within us begins to wear-off. Deep within we intuitively realize that it no longer works for us. IT HAS BECOME TOO FAMILIAR. We have taken it for granted . We have come to forget how vitally important these principles truly are. And we have failed to hold them close to our hearts in favor of other more pressing though less urgent concerns.

          Perhaps part of the problem comes from the feeling that there are just too many details for us to remember, and to remember them vividly!!  It is in the work (and it is work) of remembering, focusing and utilizing the energies we have been given that they retain their value. It is in the exercise of self discipline that we begin to keep all that we are learning fresh, robust and in a healthy state of balance.

          Consider the excellent advice Paul gave to the Roman believers;


              RomQute10-10

          Paul instructed the Romans to focus their energies on God and His nurturing as they refused to be immersed into the thinking and living of the worldly culture that threatened to engulf them. This advice is a good fit to the description of God’s person in Psalm 1:        

               Ps1Qute10-10
           The key to keeping the magic of the simple truths that have had such a deep impact in our lives, and the process of reclaiming     those that have lost their luster or ceased to inspire awe and wonder within us, though simple, is a grueling and formidable task: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23 [NIV]).

           However, the payoff for keeping God’s realities a vital part of our lives is amazing:

                Ps37Qute10-10

          Here are some simple truths that have touched my life deeply through the years (and they still do!):

      ImportThgs

    _______________________________________________________________________________________[Most Scripture references are taken from The Message]
          Earlier this summer I came across another thought that has captured my imagination and energized my thinking.  It is the response of a friend     of mine to the comments of an atheist/agnostic(?) denigrating the efforts of believers as they attempted to communicate the gracious message of the Gospel to others. Such efforts were characterized as ‘pushing our agenda’ off onto others to satisfy some deep need to belong--so as "not to feel like an outcast." My friend wrote in part; ". . . sharing our faith isn't born out of some misplaced sense of belonging. We already belong. We belong to Him . . . and He satisfies those longings much better than a lover, a friend, a mother, a father . . . and we want to share Him with the world not because we want more people who are like us, but because we know that He is perfect, and amazing, and loving . . . and He is the best thing we can spend our lives telling others about."

          She went on to suggest that if someone were to come up with a serum or drug that genuinely and effectively cured all forms of cancer, it would be the epitome of negligence not to do everything in one’s power to see that all who needed it  be given access to it--even if many refused its benefits. My friend then closed her remarks with this powerful statement: "Well . . . we have something much greater than the cure for cancer. We have the cure for death!" (I Corinthians 15:54-- "Death has been swallowed up in victory!").

          I needed this observation to challenge me . . . and to remind me that God is still good even when the sun/Son is shadowed by the clouds:

          " . . . When it’s dark and it’s cold and I can’t feel my soul- You are still good. When the world is gone gray and the rain’s here to stay- You are still good. With every breath I take in I’ll tell you I am grateful again and the storm may swell even then it is well- And you are good. So how can I thank you and what can I bring?   What can a poor man lay at the feet of a King? So I’ll sing you a love song it’s all that I have To tell you I’m grateful for holding my life in Your hands. So I’ll sing you a love song it’s all that I have To tell you I’m grateful for holding my life in Your hands You are holding my life in your hands."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Point of Grace--
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