It looks like there are plenty of worthless idols in our lives! We are surrounded by them and struggle to get by without them. One thought was at the beginning of each day to just bring to mind all that we have, the things we will use (technology, etc) ... give thanks to God for them then pray that we will not make them our "idols" but that we would pledge our day to God and worship him.
One good picture mentioned was that of somebody drowning but not being able to take hold of a rescuers hand for fear of letting go of the log he's clinging on to. There are so many things to cling on to instead of God.
Sometimes making decisions isn't easy. Getting the balance between what God wants us to give up and what he has given us as provision can be hard when we don't hear a clear voice from heaven speaking to us. We need to be faithful to God in our decisions though, that way his grace can pick us up when we do get it wrong.
Two people today have talked about being like coals in a fire and how removing one coal means it quickly loses it's flame. Let's keep close to God, together and encourage each other
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Well, I am not sure how to make a decision about what is gods provision and what he wants us to give up - As far as I understand it scripturally at the moment, the old testament commands us to give 10% and the new testament asks us to respond by giving everything we value less then God. I am trying to see what this looks like in my life.
ReplyDeleteIf you think that you need some contemporary perspective on whether we might be holding on to too much 'provision' to ensure we are saving ourselves and not trusting God then I would highly recommend these two links.
http://www.church-poverty.org.uk/close-the-gap/whyclosethegap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X82kjL1hDYU
If you watch and read this stuff and really pray with an open heart I think it is very hard not to feel some serious conviction.
As Christians are we called to live like Kings in the top 2% of the world, or are we called to pick op our cross, feed the hungry and clothe the naked?
Any ideas how to make a real physical response to this in my life?
Some huge questions here. Rember God looks on the heart not the value, wealth/influence/position and possessions are not necessarily "bad" (plenty of scriptual evidence for this).
ReplyDeleteThere is probaboly not a quick answer to your question other than stating that each day we need to ask what we can give/do that day for those around us .... otherwise we get swamped by the vastness of what is there.
Let's debate the points sometime - as this issue is probably the biggest facing the (Western) church at this time - we are caught in a materialistic and secular society and yet are called to make radically different choices with what we have materially. A good point of reference is Jesus parable of the Widows Mite .... this sums up how God see's things pretty well.
This parable only seems to add to the conviction of giving your all (more than just a life coach sound bite).
ReplyDeleteI know what I am trying to avoid, or move beyond in this point is the 'salvation by works' trap/trick where I am trying to do the thinks that are the outworking of my love for God in order to engender that love - Or I am not doing those things to show that I trust in having his grace and love.
I want to move beyond this because both sides of this argument give cause to moderate the outworking of my response to God's love.
I feel that as long as the sequence of events is correct -
1. God loves me and enables be to choose to love Him
2. I freely choose to love Him with all that I am
3. I then begin to naturally desire to align my heart with His and to do things that honour and please him.
Then there should be very little beyond searching my life for more opportunities to express this love. Not because I need to, but because I want to.
And if I don't want to? Then this is fine, as long as I am happy with what this expresses about how I personally feel about who God is and what he has done for me - the only thing that should moderate my response.
(I do know what this must sound like, and I am aware I am posting this on the internet yet you may never see it fully realized in my behaviour, but I do pray that God gives me the strength to work this out in my life)
I should have included the word 'joyfully' in to the sentence about searching my life, to read:
ReplyDelete'Then there should be very little beyond searching my life for more opportunities to joyfully express this love. Not because I need to, but because I want to'
That is important - and not gloomy!
Great blog Adam. Your comments are so much in line with what Paul's letter in the NT refer to. He makes the point about us being "Slaves to Righteousness" .... not because we have to but because we may. Your heart I am sure is being moulded by God (as with the rest of us) ... this can be painful (amongst the joy of serving him and giving our all).
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned before this subject is huge and worthy of greater debate as it challenges to the very core of what we say (and do) as Christians.
A good question to ask might be "what would giving my all look like in my life?" ....