I've been reading Donald Miller's new book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and it's really got me thinking about what kind of story I've been living and what kind of story I want to live.
In reading the book, I found myself looking at my life and thinking "Wow, I'm not getting very far. Shouldn't I be farther than this? Why is it taking me so long to become more godly and more obedient?"
Then I read a passage today that reassured me of my progress:
Miller was talking about training for a hike on the Inca Trail. His new trainer, Dave, "taught [him] that progress, no matter how slow, is all that matters." I have a hard time believing that because in my life I've always been someone of action and, as an American and simply a human being, I guess I'm taught to long for instant gratification. This is not how God works.
God designed us to take breaks, to slow down. Why do we sleep? Why do we want to eat? Why do we want to talk to and hang out with our friends? There are all things that are necessities for us. Rest, Food, and Fellowship. God doesn't want us to constantly be trying to get that promotion or write that song or get that part.
In His very design of our flesh and spirit, we can see that God doesn't long for instant change. He wants us to grow. If we our faith and love did not deepen over time, they could very easily and quickly deteriorate. If, say, I developed a love for God over 20 years, it might take something like 20 years to fall apart, if I were to lose faith. If I came to love God over 5 days, that love could be gone within a week.
The world is so focused on being fast-paced and efficient. However, efficiency isn't always the most effective principle.
Hopefully I can believe this on a much deeper level. Progress in my faith is all that matters.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
What is man that you are mindful of him?
Psalm 8:4 "what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"
I came across this verse about two days ago and it's something that has really b
een pressing on my heart since I read it. The idea that our sin makes us so worthless has been in my mind for about a month now. I just can't truly fathom how disgusting - how incredibly repulsive - we are as wicked men. Our wickedness is like a shower over us and, although I know this, I haven't been able to fully grasp this concept.
Yet I should be constantly reminded that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. How incredible is that?!
Here's an illustration:
If you had, say, a dog that you nurtured from birth - you fed, washed, and loved on it - and, while it was still a puppy, you began to housebreak it and for about a week or two it was completely housebroken and didn't pee or poop in the house for 14 days, and then, following its training to never poop or pee in the house, it began to defiantly relieve itself wheresoever it pleased, how would you feel? If you were like me, you'd be gentle maybe the first or second day that it did so and then begin to get mad if it continued for another week.
However, let's say that the dog did this for the rest of its life. The dog didn't care about the wonderful house that you've decorated, cleaned and slept in, nor the lush, large yar
d in the back for it to play (and poop) in. Alternatively, the dog did exactly what it wanted to do. The dog had to pee? Oh, the living room rug looked like a nice place. The dog had to poop? Oh, the dog's not in the kitchen so much so this is a nice place to leave a load.
Just imagine, the house that you try and try to keep clean and fresh is soiled so disgustingly by this dog. Wouldn't you want to get rid of the dog? Wouldn't you want to hand it off to someone else? Wouldn't you be slightly relieved when it passed away?
Well, if you can't see it by now, we're exactly like that defiant and ignorant dog, soiling the wonderful house that God has created for us. Actually, our poop is more like diarrhea. It's just plain disgusting - gag-inducing disgusting. Yet God still loves us. God still wants us to walk in His creation. The Lord, pardon the comparison, is like a cleaning solution for the carpet that we've made poop-stained. How great is our God that He still loves us! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
I came across this verse about two days ago and it's something that has really b
een pressing on my heart since I read it. The idea that our sin makes us so worthless has been in my mind for about a month now. I just can't truly fathom how disgusting - how incredibly repulsive - we are as wicked men. Our wickedness is like a shower over us and, although I know this, I haven't been able to fully grasp this concept.Yet I should be constantly reminded that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. How incredible is that?!
Here's an illustration:
If you had, say, a dog that you nurtured from birth - you fed, washed, and loved on it - and, while it was still a puppy, you began to housebreak it and for about a week or two it was completely housebroken and didn't pee or poop in the house for 14 days, and then, following its training to never poop or pee in the house, it began to defiantly relieve itself wheresoever it pleased, how would you feel? If you were like me, you'd be gentle maybe the first or second day that it did so and then begin to get mad if it continued for another week.
However, let's say that the dog did this for the rest of its life. The dog didn't care about the wonderful house that you've decorated, cleaned and slept in, nor the lush, large yar
d in the back for it to play (and poop) in. Alternatively, the dog did exactly what it wanted to do. The dog had to pee? Oh, the living room rug looked like a nice place. The dog had to poop? Oh, the dog's not in the kitchen so much so this is a nice place to leave a load.Just imagine, the house that you try and try to keep clean and fresh is soiled so disgustingly by this dog. Wouldn't you want to get rid of the dog? Wouldn't you want to hand it off to someone else? Wouldn't you be slightly relieved when it passed away?
Well, if you can't see it by now, we're exactly like that defiant and ignorant dog, soiling the wonderful house that God has created for us. Actually, our poop is more like diarrhea. It's just plain disgusting - gag-inducing disgusting. Yet God still loves us. God still wants us to walk in His creation. The Lord, pardon the comparison, is like a cleaning solution for the carpet that we've made poop-stained. How great is our God that He still loves us! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)