Tuesday, September 30
now, where was i?
I've been thinking about safety lately. There's something in me that longs for security almost more than I desire God himself. Apparently I'm not alone. In "An Unstoppable Force" I read this:
"Out of the community church context has come an unending parade of pop and bumper sticker theologies - the kinds that give us comfort for all the wrong reasons. One of these in particular has both misguided the church and diluted the calling on every believer who is shaped by it.
You've heard it said that the safest place is to be in the center of God's will. I am sure this promise was well intended, but it is neither true nor innocuous. When we believe that God's purpose, intention, or promise is that we will be safe from harm, we are utterly disconnected from the movement and power of God...
The truth of the matter is that the center of God's will is not a safe place but the most dangerous place in the world! God fears nothing and no one. God moves with intentionality and power. To live outside of God's will puts us in danger; to live in his will makes us dangerous" (32-33).
To be completely honest, this idea scares me. My life at the moment is incredibly safe. The most dangerous part of my day is walking across a dark parking lot to dump trash and recycling after work.
But I guess danger isn't merely physical. It also includes being outside my comfort zone when I talk with people, giving serious consideration to ideas that don't fit my current paradigm, attempting feats in my life that seem completely beyond my capability. I suppose that if God eventually wants to lead me into situations where I am at gunpoint for him, or standing up to corrupt governments, or starting a revolution, it may begin with my willingness to be challenged with whatever comes my way today, in this moment. My resolve and determination to not be afraid, to not be pushed aside, by what comes my way this week reveals a character that is being built for the challenges of next week and beyond. My life today matters.
I think about the day that lays ahead. It is 11 a.m. and I just woke up. I am sitting on my couch with greasy hair and a stubborn unwillingness to take a shower. The only things on my schedule are counseling at four and youth group at seven. Inherently benign. However...
I can call that girl who knows she's making bad choices and doesn't want to be talked to about it. I will ask her how things are going. I can delve into issues at counseling that I would rather not admit to or face. I can choose to change if change is required. I can be open to hanging out with a new friend around whom I still feel incredibly awkward, in hopes that our relationship soon develops into something that reflects God's glory. I can make a plan for graduate studies and take more initiative even though the whole idea scares me to death.
What else can God require except that we face today with intentionality and all the strength we can muster? And maybe tomorrow, guns and revolution.
"Out of the community church context has come an unending parade of pop and bumper sticker theologies - the kinds that give us comfort for all the wrong reasons. One of these in particular has both misguided the church and diluted the calling on every believer who is shaped by it.
You've heard it said that the safest place is to be in the center of God's will. I am sure this promise was well intended, but it is neither true nor innocuous. When we believe that God's purpose, intention, or promise is that we will be safe from harm, we are utterly disconnected from the movement and power of God...
The truth of the matter is that the center of God's will is not a safe place but the most dangerous place in the world! God fears nothing and no one. God moves with intentionality and power. To live outside of God's will puts us in danger; to live in his will makes us dangerous" (32-33).
To be completely honest, this idea scares me. My life at the moment is incredibly safe. The most dangerous part of my day is walking across a dark parking lot to dump trash and recycling after work.
But I guess danger isn't merely physical. It also includes being outside my comfort zone when I talk with people, giving serious consideration to ideas that don't fit my current paradigm, attempting feats in my life that seem completely beyond my capability. I suppose that if God eventually wants to lead me into situations where I am at gunpoint for him, or standing up to corrupt governments, or starting a revolution, it may begin with my willingness to be challenged with whatever comes my way today, in this moment. My resolve and determination to not be afraid, to not be pushed aside, by what comes my way this week reveals a character that is being built for the challenges of next week and beyond. My life today matters.
I think about the day that lays ahead. It is 11 a.m. and I just woke up. I am sitting on my couch with greasy hair and a stubborn unwillingness to take a shower. The only things on my schedule are counseling at four and youth group at seven. Inherently benign. However...
I can call that girl who knows she's making bad choices and doesn't want to be talked to about it. I will ask her how things are going. I can delve into issues at counseling that I would rather not admit to or face. I can choose to change if change is required. I can be open to hanging out with a new friend around whom I still feel incredibly awkward, in hopes that our relationship soon develops into something that reflects God's glory. I can make a plan for graduate studies and take more initiative even though the whole idea scares me to death.
What else can God require except that we face today with intentionality and all the strength we can muster? And maybe tomorrow, guns and revolution.
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