I am sitting at work currently mourning the loss of my taste buds. I made some hot chocolate to soothe my swollen throat and jumped the gun a little bit on drinking it. While it was fabulously relieving to my throat, I am fairly certain I almost burned my tongue off. But on to more important things....
So lately I have been reading a book by Matt Chandler entitled "TO LIVE IS CHRIST TO DIE IS GAIN". Peep it with your eyeballs...
So lately I have been reading a book by Matt Chandler entitled "TO LIVE IS CHRIST TO DIE IS GAIN". Peep it with your eyeballs...
I also had the pleasure of watching a documentary yesterday entitled "Beware of Christians". Peep again...
Both of these have profoundly shaped my thinking and meditation as of late. First and foremost, if you haven't seen the documentary then you must stop what you are doing immediately and find it on Netflix. (I'm not even kidding, minimize this blog right now and go watch it!) I feel like this documentary is the most genuine film I have seen taking a look at the Christian mindset of young adults. They talk about real issues without giving the "Sunday School" answer.
Secondly, the book. One quote in particular smacked me square in the face when I read it. "Are you using God to get something from Him? Or is God Himself the goal of your striving?". Man, that one hit me hard. I consider myself a pretty good christian. I go to church every Sunday, I sing during worship, in the car, in the shower, at work, everywhere! I try to control my cussing, I don't drink, I don't have sex. So that makes me a good Christian... right? Wrong. We are persistently taught (At least, I pray that you are!) That it is not works that brings salvation but Gods grace alone. So why do we use these measuring tools to see how righteous we are? It was a realization for myself that I have been very selfish and arrogant. I do these "good" things so that people with think I AM a "good" Christian, when in reality it's not about ME at all. Nothing in me is good. Romans 7:18 states " I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." I realized, after reading that statment that I have been missing the mark. I've been trying to bring myself glory. Not God. I've been trying to get heaven from Him through works without focusing every ounce of my being on striving to seek more of Him in a deep, personal, and passionately loving relationship. It was a pretty radical revelation, I must say.
So, that's a little tiny paragraph trying to sum up a concept from an entire chapter of a book. So I urge you to go to Amazon and pick up your own copy. But before I end, I would like to share another passage from the book that completely moved me. It is a beautiful depiction and reminder that the entire creation is in anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
Secondly, the book. One quote in particular smacked me square in the face when I read it. "Are you using God to get something from Him? Or is God Himself the goal of your striving?". Man, that one hit me hard. I consider myself a pretty good christian. I go to church every Sunday, I sing during worship, in the car, in the shower, at work, everywhere! I try to control my cussing, I don't drink, I don't have sex. So that makes me a good Christian... right? Wrong. We are persistently taught (At least, I pray that you are!) That it is not works that brings salvation but Gods grace alone. So why do we use these measuring tools to see how righteous we are? It was a realization for myself that I have been very selfish and arrogant. I do these "good" things so that people with think I AM a "good" Christian, when in reality it's not about ME at all. Nothing in me is good. Romans 7:18 states " I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." I realized, after reading that statment that I have been missing the mark. I've been trying to bring myself glory. Not God. I've been trying to get heaven from Him through works without focusing every ounce of my being on striving to seek more of Him in a deep, personal, and passionately loving relationship. It was a pretty radical revelation, I must say.
So, that's a little tiny paragraph trying to sum up a concept from an entire chapter of a book. So I urge you to go to Amazon and pick up your own copy. But before I end, I would like to share another passage from the book that completely moved me. It is a beautiful depiction and reminder that the entire creation is in anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
Even creation, having been pressed or subjected to futility, is longing to join in with the freedom that's been given to the sons of God, the lifting of decay, the removal of the weight of sin, and the vanquishing of the curse. So now we know why the wolves howl. We know why the whales groan. We know why the trees creak. They, with us, are groaning. There's something intrinsic in creation that remembers what it was like before it was subjected to futility. And so creation itself is eagerly watching the sons and daughters of the King, waiting for the last one to come into the kingdom so that the rocks and trees can be set free.