William Barclay said that “True prayer is asking God what He wants.” Too often our prayers are driven by our own perceived needs and selfish desires instead of focusing on what God wants to do in us and through our situation. We are focused on the here and now, but God’s eyes are also on the next and the not yet. He is capable of foreseeing every possible twist and turn our lives might take, and is always making a way for us to use the gifts He has entrusted to us in a way that furthers His Kingdom and glorifies His character. While Jesus longs for our happiness, He knows the quickest route there is to steer us toward holiness.
peace
Surviving Trials
Life is full of the unexpected. We plan our lives in one direction when out of the blue everything changes. We can’t control every circumstance around us. Our own lack of discipline leaves us open to failures we would have never imagined. Dreams die, hopes are dashed, and everything we once had figured out no longer makes sense. Such is the plight of practically every soul who has ever walked our planet. Somewhere along the line, despite our best intentions, our plans go awry. These are the moments that prove whether or not Christ is truly the Lord of our lives.
Jesus is Everything
Some day I’m going to figure out why we go looking for things to satisfy the longings of our heart. We have devoted our lives to serving God, the One who created us, loved us, and died for us. He has been there for us our entire lives. Yet the moment something doesn’t go our way, we react like spoiled children and immediately begin seeking comfort and enjoyment in the things of this world. We consume our time with endeavors that bring at best a fleeting distraction that brings no long term joy or fulfillment. Meanwhile our King waits patiently on the sidelines.
Being Still
Almost all of God’s creation stands silent before Him, testifying to His glory simply by being what they were created to be. The grass is content to soften the steps of those who come across it. Trees reach heavenward in unspoken majesty. Flowers erupt in brilliant color, while streams flow gently over rocks to nourish and sustain the life within them. All of this is done in virtual silence. There is no need to rail against their Creator or obnoxiously draw attention to themselves. God’s creation is simply satisfied to be what it is and to testify to a Creator that is magnificent and beyond compare or comprehension. All of creation that is, except for the humans.
The Christian and Self Defense
Photo courtesy of Brian Lary
I’ve been reading John Howard Yoder’s little book entitled, “What Would You Do?” which deals with the philosophical question of what would you do if someone were threatening your spouse or child. It’s always been a difficult question for me to think through, as it is for most followers of Christ. To start with, I’m a jumble of contradictions when it comes to violence. As an American citizen, I believe in the individual right to bear arms as written in our Constitution. I own multiple guns and am a card carrying NRA member. Yet I’m anti-war and anti-hunting. I’m very much for animal rights and a massive lover of all of God’s creation. I suppose you could say that I own guns in hopes I never have to use them. Still, I’ve worked to become a very accurate shot should the need ever arise. It’s a dichotomy I’ve never really been able to unravel.