Written Friday June 4, 2010
So far I'm actually still chewing on the book introduction, kind of defining my issues. I really appreciate that you've got your Bible references right on the page. I needed to be reminded of a number of them. Currently I've been spending some time thinking about the "without faith it is impossible to please Him" concept. Just happened to read, with my son, the story about God asking Abraham to take his son Isaac for a sacrifice (Genesis 22). Major picture of faith and trusting God as explained in Hebrews 11:17-19. I am so not there. I'm glad that we don't have to worry about sacrifices anymore now that Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice, so I'm not real concerned that He'd ask me to be willing to kill my own son. But there are so many more minor things, where I know if He asked me to do something, I'd be like, "Umm...I didn't just hear that" and run away. "Faith is character at work." (p9 in Identity Theft) Never put that together that way before. Wanting to explore that more.
I'm guessing you've possibly had this happen to you, but sometimes I will find that a certain scripture passage keeps coming up to me from all sorts of different corners of my life. I don't know if I'll run into it in Identity Theft, but it wouldn't surprise me if I did. It's 2 Pet. 1:3-11. I've been wanting to pursue a strategy to teach character traits to my kids. When I ran into v. 10 where it says "as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble"(NASB) I thought now that sounds like stuff I'd better be making sure my kids are practicing (and me too). In Neil's sermon last Sunday, it really stuck out to me that we are chosen for obedience and holiness (1 Pet. 1:1-2 and 14-16) Now my trouble is that I realize I really don't have a handle on any of these qualities myself, so I have NO idea how I'm going to teach them to my kids. :)
Another thing that's been going on with me lately is that issue of feeling like a big goof up. I'll just be doing whatever, and then memories of dumb things I've done will pop into my head and I'll feel really bad. I feel like I'm missing part of the picture, and I'm frustrated that I don't feel like there's a whole lot of God's glory shining through my life. I'm definitely liking the idea of somehow not making my life about me and not focusing on the big Y-O-U. (p8 in Identity Theft) I was reading about a few of the kings of Judah recently and noticing how when GOD caused things to go their way, because they were choosing to follow Him, They'd get proud and think they were so awesome like it was about THEM! How easy it is to forget! I'm not even a king and I find myself forgetting. When times are hard, I'm like, "LORD, I need you." When times are flowing good, I'm like, "Hey, wow, I'VE got it together here." WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Something else that has been with me for a while is "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." After pondering all these other things, that verse really sounds like I need to make it about God's kingdom (not my little one) and seek His character. I like how Peter connected the eternal kingdom of God to character qualities in 2 Pet. 1:11, also. However, I don't know how to not think like a duck, yet. (p4 in Identity Theft)
I've also been highly drawn to Mark 12:29-31 "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."(NASB) And also through the years 1 Cor. 13 especially v. 13 "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."(NASB) As I was answering the question about God's character at the end of the intro, I stopped by 1 Cor 13. It made me think about how much I love your analogy of the mirror and being in the image of God. Verse 12, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."(NIV) Definitely looking forward to exploring God's character more and seeing where this journey goes. So far that's a bit of what's been going on in my head and how it's connected to what I've read in Identity Theft.
Someone just posted this on facebook today and I haven't yet decided what I think of it:
"We get discouraged because we never seem to measure up to the spiritual light we have received and the things we know. We read books by Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer and Watchman Nee, and within one hour, we are given information that took 40 years for these men to learn. Then, we look at ourselves and we don't measure up; we look at others and they don't measure up either, even those we regard as leaders. We forget that all of us are on a journey and that each one is learning and growing toward godliness at a different pace and level". - K.P. Yohannan
I relate to the problem, but I'm not entirely settled with the answer. I think partly because I actually haven't read a lot of those books and I still find myself with similar feelings. Seems like there's more to it than that, and I'm hoping there's more to it than that.
Thanks for letting me verbalize the things bouncing around my head, so they can stop bouncing for a little while at least. :)
Read the next part of the story in Discovering Answers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica
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