For What It’s Worth

Over the last couple of days I’ve read ‘For What It’s Worth’ by Simon Guillebaud.

I’m not quite sure how yet, but I think it may have changed my life.

It’s an honest, heart-felt cry for all Christians to become radical disciples. I was challenged by a thousand different things and cried several times while reading it. I don’t think my comments can do this book justice, so I honestly recommend that every Christian read this book for themselves.

Still, I’ll share a few of the questions I was left asking myself while reading this book:

Am I really living for Christ? What does it even mean? If I’m not living my life for Christ, what am I living for? Shall I just resign myself to a safe, sanitised, middle-class Christianity?

Am I storing up treasure for myself in heaven, or am I too easily pleased with hoarding my treasure here and now; treasure which is destined to perish?

How much am I willing to give for Christ? Everything?

What are my dreams? Am I dreaming big enough?

What are my prayers? Are my prayers big enough?

Am I going to wake one day and think of all the missed opportunities, risks I never took, conversations I never had, forgotten dreams, lives not touched, adventures not had? Will I see the person I could have been, that God called me to be, but that I never was because I was too afraid to step out of the boat…?

… Step out of the boat….

That’s a phrase I remember I heard Brother Andrew say once, and it’s stuck with me. I’ve been reminded of it several times since. I don’t want to suddenly realise one day that I’m old and that I haven’t done anything. I think I fear that happening.

But the only way that I can avoid it is by realising that I must give my life, my heart, my body, my time, my dreams, my hopes, my everything for Jesus and his kingdom. John Piper’s ‘Don’t Waste Your Life’ is crossing my mind as I write this…

Anyway, back to boats…

“A ship may be safe in the harbour, but to fulfil its purpose, it has to take on the seas; and no new land was ever discovered without the ship’s commander agreeing to lose sight of the shore he’d embarked from.”

This book has made me see and understand this better. Being a mediocre Christian isn’t good enough. Settling for ‘ok’ isn’t good enough. Jesus said that “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Taking up our cross means that we have to be willing to die for Jesus. Are you?

Millions of people die across the world without having had the chance to hear about Jesus. How is that fair? And what are you doing about it? Anything? Or nothing? Is your sofa and cup of tea more appealing?

I’m having a go at myself as much as anything as I write this. And that’s why you need to read this book.

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The Source of True Joy Part 2/Not yours

My heart says to you,

“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”

Psalm 27:8

I cannot say my heart is pure,

no,

not because it is riddled with lust

or

stained with hatred,

but because it does not always long for You.

My heart longs

for comfort and ease,

for power and control,

for possessions and position,

for acceptance and recognition.

It longs for so many of the things

that carry the promise of

satisfaction

contentment

happiness

joy.

Yet, my heart is wired for You,

wired

to rest only in the rest found

in you.

It would be easy to reason

that I am okay.

I am not a thief.

I am not a murderer.

I have not stolen the spouse of another.

But this reality I cannot escape:

my heart is not pure,

because it does not always

long for You.

I have hated in my heart.

I have stolen with my thoughts.

I have lusted in secret.

I have done all these things

because my heart

doesn’t always belong to You.

Capture my thoughts.

Command my desires.

Submit my will.

Direct my plans.

Make my heart pure,

not because it is free of struggle,

but because

it no longer seeks

identity

meaning

peace

purpose,

that inner sense of well-being

in You.

When my heart finds life in You,

it will no longer

seek it in another.

I wish I could say I am pure,

but the battle still rages,

and rescue is still needed,

so that the longings of my heart

will not pull me away,

but wil draw me

ever closer

to You.

By Paul David Tripp, from ‘A Shelter in the Time of Storm’

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Sanctification/The Source of True Joy

… sanctification brings great joy to us. The more we grow in likeness to Christ, the more we will personally experience the “joy” and “peace” that are part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22), and the more we will draw near to the kind of life that we will have in heaven. Paul says that as we become more and more obedient to God, “the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Rom 6:22). He realises that this is the source of our true joy. “The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). As we grow in holiness, we grow in conformity to the image of Christ, and more and more of the beauty of his character is seen in our own lives. This is the goal of perfect sanctification that we hope and long for and that will be ours when Christ returns. “Every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

I read this as part of my study this week on sanctification (from Grudem). I found it both encouraging and challenging.

And that’s reason enough to share it with you!

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Why do churches in the UK look so middle class?

Interesting video about why the churches in the UK are so middle class.

It’s something I was thinking about a couple of months ago and I’m glad to have been reminded of it again. See what you think.

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Great phrase out of the mouth of a German

“… und das crème brulée ready-to-go ist.”

Ha! It’s evidence for the beginnings of a very bizarre ‘European’ language… and I’m worried about where it’s heading!

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Cello Update

A while ago I wrote about the cello that I got for Christmas. I’m still really enjoying learning and am doing well, even without lessons from a teacher. My violin knowledge has definitely come in handy and I’m glad I’m able to learn quite quickly and already be at the stage where I can enjoy playing pieces.

I’ve been learning Handel’s the ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ and last night spent about 3 hours playing with my housemates. It was great! We spent quite a while playing a random selection of hymns too; I was playing the melody and Nora the harmonies on the violin. It was beautiful! On several occasions I found myself thanking God for music. It was impossible not to!

The cello is such a soulful, lovely instrument too, I recommend you listen to some. I’ve been enjoying Dvorak’s Cello Concerto today so have a look if you like. If you don’t want to listen to it all, start from 4 mins in (that’s where the main cello bit starts).

Enjoy! 🙂

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A verse for you to remember

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeard to all men. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope the glorious appearance of or great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

Titus 2:11-13

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Why Theology is the most exciting thing ever

It’s not too long ago that if I’m truly honest, I didn’t really know what theology was. I mean, I knew it was about studying the Bible and talking about other complicated things and old monks that I didn’t know anything about, but that was it. I didn’t really understand it. It’s only really been the last year that I have come to discover for myself that it is in fact not dry and deadly boring, but quite the opposite. It’s the most exciting thing possible.

It’s simply about knowing God better and loving Jesus more.

Isn’t that something that all Christians should want more of!?

Theologians aren’t old men with beards, or geeks that went to posh universities, but include all people that know about God, think about God and make statements about God. If you’re a Christian, that means you too. We’re all theologians. True, some are more able theologians than others, but we’re all theologians nonetheless.

That really makes me excited. It makes it so easy! ‘Knowing God better and loving Jesus more’?! I can do that!

I’m so excited by the fact that there is so much more to know than I know now, and that it’s good stuff! In the past I was content to plod along being an average Christian, knowing only what I considered was ‘enough’.  But through my study I’m beginning to realise that knowing God really is the best thing ever. We were created to know him and be in relationship with him. That’s why other things don’t satisfy our souls like we want them to: He is the only one that can truly fill us. It’s a very hard thing to learn and yet an enormous relief and joy at the same time. Reading John Piper’s ‘Don’t waste your life’ I had to be honest with myself and acknowledge that if I am living for anything other than Christ I am wasting my life. Only when Christ is our ultimate desire can we be satisfied. That means, although it’s hard, it’s actually in my own best interest to set aside my idols of self, of marriage, of achievement, of comfort. In order to have life to the full in Christ, I have to be willing to fling away, to die to, the things of this world.

I want to know more of this satisfying love and mercy. I want to know how it works. But I don’t just want to know about God, I want to know God. Head knowledge of God is no good if it doesn’t also touch my heart and move me, changing me to become more like Christ.

People reading this may already know me, but for the sake of those that don’t: I’m not some big, clued-up know it all, I’m just a normal girl. If I can do this and find it amazing, so can you. Theology Network is my new favourite website, go and take a look at it. It doesn’t matter whether you know very little, or you already know a lot, there’s something for everyone and it’s easy and accessible. I’d recommend it to all of you. Sometimes I read the articles. Sometimes I even sob at them. Sometimes I just put a talk or two on my ipod and listen to them as I walk into town. Try it yourself.

Theology is knowing God better, and knowing God better is a wonderful thing.

It’s the best thing.

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