Convince Me, O God

"Convince me that I cannot be my own God, or make myself happy,
nor my own Christ to restore my joy,
nor my own Spirit to teach, guide, rule me."
- From "Man of Nothing" in Valley of Vision

All mankind levels at self-confidence. Nobody escapes the pride that has permeated the human race since the "Great Divorce." Even the most shy among us, admit times of wanting to be God, for even in their disposition, they seek to control rather than submit.

John 14:15-31 - And a Prayer I Wrote

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."    


Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.


"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, forthe Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

How Do I Flourish in Work?

Tonight, I read an article on the topic of work called "Human Flourishing." It helped me consider my thoughts and attitudes toward work both at my job and school. Danielle Sallade, a staff member at Princeton Evangelical Fellowship, wrote the article. Here's the link: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/06/07/danielle-sallade-on-human-flourishing/

In the essay Danielle defines a flourishing life as "a life that both goes well and is lived well" (1). Since she works with college students, she is able to observe the life patterns of students, and she concludes that pressure in the educational setting deprives students of this flourishing life. So many of these gifted individuals work without regard for sleep, relationships or enjoyment. As a result, these students can "either be caught up in frenzied activity or overwhelmed by their lives and thus unable to do anything. The pressure in their lives keeps them from flourishing as God intended" (4). Why is this the case?

Here is her outline:

1. The Culture of Busyness: 

A culture built on a self-centered concept of success, living in a competition mindset.This leads to three mistakes:

1. We wrongly value certain types of work over others.
2. We place our identity in our work and seek justification through our work.
3. We work as if we were independent operators, solely responsible for our daily provision, forgetting that God is our ultimate provider.

1.1 Value in All Types of Work -

The focus changes from loving work to loving the results of work (e.g. money). Work becomes a means to an end, but God values work as an end in itself (not the ultimate end though as we will see later).

1.2 Value in All Types of Work—by Design

Work is not a result of the fall but designed by God. Danielle teaches that "how we work is as important as what we produce...God is glorified by work because we can do it with an eye to pleasing him" (10).

1.3 Value in All Types of Work—by Example

Danielle draws a provoking reference by Tim Keller in this section:

"When our Savior came to earth, he did not come as a philosopher, nor as a noble statesman, nor as a powerful military general, but he came as a carpenter...this was the one who would save the world" (11).

2. Identity in Work

If you make work and achievements your foundation for meaning, you will feel the pressure, anxiety, and even emptiness from something God never intended to satisfy. Rather, God's glory is the end (ultimate or even chief end).

2.1 Identity in Christ

As believers, we have "soul resting" peace that results in our position before God through justification. Our meaning "is rooted in the dignity of our image-bearing through creation and in our union with Christ through our redemption" (13). We are already "approved." 

2.2. Work That Flows Out of Identity in Christ

We are slaves! I love this statement: "Our primary purpose as a slave is extending Christ's kingdom. And when our main focus in life is our duty to Christ, we are free from being overly preoccupied with our specific jobs" (14). This slavery sets one free from the burdens of the sole responsibility being on you. God supplies your needs.

3. Depending on God in our Work

Remember that your gifts are just that--gifts. They are gifts from God, and this loving God promises to protect you. Christ reminds us that we cannot add to our life by worrying, so instead, depend on God.

3.1 Sabbath

This concept is one that I wish to work on, that is, finding a time to rest during the week (e.g. Saturday or Sunday). She doesn't limit this to just Saturday or Sunday, but rather, she focuses on the concept of resting for a day on a weekly basis.

1. This rest brings us to "recognize [God's] sovereignty over the work" (18).
2. This weekly rest also helps us turn our eyes to God (rather than keep them on our work and accomplishment). This is the worship of God.

3.2 Focus on Faithfulness

The goal of work is not money, achievement or fame, but it is faithfulness and fidelity to God through obedience. "God values faithfulness to himself above all else..." (22).

4. Conclusion

Final implications (Taken almost directly from the article)

1. Since God values all types of work, students can be confident in developing their interests and gifts, learning how they can use them to serve others and redeem culture.
2. Students who serve Christ as their primary focus know that how they work with integrity and excellence is more important than the measured results of their work.
3. As these students pursue their careers, they focus on laying up treasure in heaven through their profession.
4. Students are confident that God will provide for today's and tomorrow's needs, giving them peace about the future.

Check out this article!

Per Ardua

       Miserable persons ponder self, while the joyful consider Christ. We are called to carefully reflect on Him, who endured the hostility of sinners against himself. Meditate upon the living Word as the means of our endurance, so that we do not grow weary or fainthearted. Is this an echo of a promise? For if we do not consider the Lamb of God, what hope of perseverance do we possess? If we do not take into account the King of the Jews, will we find strength and peace for our souls? Now, we are called to carefully contemplate the condition of Christ's way, for this deep reflection of the Son of God generates consolation, comfort and courage. Instead of man’s way, it is through adversity that we find the Son of Man our brother. Does this not encourage us? Even more than consideration of the lilies of the field or the sky above, Christ’s worth cries for our consideration. His love, patience, suffering, endurance and faithfulness eclipse our pain, weakness, suffering, agony and infidelity. Brothers and sisters, we must not fade in our hearts through adversity, but instead, we must know the Shepherd of our souls, who endured hostility even unto death.


(Writing from my meditation on Hebrews 12:3)

Bonhoeffer on Suffering

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in After Ten Years.

"It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men. It is infinitely easier to suffer with others than to suffer alone. It is infinitely easier to suffer as public heroes than to suffer apart and in ignominy (disgrace). It is infinitely easier to suffer physical death than to endure spiritual suffering. Christ suffered as a free man alone, apart and in ignominy, in body and in spirit, and since that day many Christians have suffered with him."

—Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Eberhard Bethge (SCM Press, 1953), p. 24.

Community 1.0

At my current age, I desire community in the way of fellowship, companionship, friendship or you could say, waking-in-life-together relationship. This is my desire, and unfortunately, this life stage does not afford such possibilities. It is in a word--impossible. As I seek how to solve this difficulty (finding a community), I have started to ask questions about this desire. Here I'll ask, "Where did this desire come from?" And I will attempt to answer it in four parts. This post is the first of four.

From Junior High. It began in junior high school, when I weighed a mere 130 lbs and was afraid to dribble in basketball games. A root of desire for communal relationship--within a group of like-minded kids who accepted me--formed unknown within me during this time. The longing for there to be more than just me settled deep within my psyche. And although it would hide itself until college, it was always present. To experience life with a group of people who liked me and valued the same values. Individuals acting in the same stage of life. We would attend class together, listening and learning together. We would have the same problems together. We would go through life together. Ultimately, I wanted to experience these habit-forming defining moments with other people my age (again without knowing it). How did this come about in Jr. High? It was simple. We mimicked our brothers and sisters. Older than us, they would hang out together every Friday night. Sometimes they would watch movies, but other times, they would run down the local cemetery to freak themselves out. Looking to them, my junior high lot sought to do what our role-models did. We attempted and succeeded to follow their steps. We would have ten or so Jr. High students together, almost every Friday night. It had a lasting impact on me. In fact, I can draw three clear lessons from these days.

1. Meaning found in experience grows exponential, when shared with people. Something about a group or community hooked me, and I think, I will forever want to share experiences with other people. 
2. Real community has a unified focus, vision or goal. Although unintentional, my group had a single focus--to be like our siblings. It brought us together and formed our thinking, and we acted in accordance with this goal.
3. Deep relationships develop within community. 

I must park on the third lesson. I liked a girl in the group, but I never really talked to her. So this story is not about her at all; it is about her best friend. You remember how in Jr. High a boy would find out inside information from the girl's best friend. Well, I did this shamelessly. And I am thankful for it, because out of this immature tactic, I gained a dear friend. I always had reason to talk to her, and the next thing I know, I am much closer to the friend than I was to the girl I supposedly was going out with. She became my dearest friend in Jr. High and high school. Community fosters this opportunity to find what I would call a lasting friendship.

More to Come...

Are you following Jesus?

HT: Paul Nesta

To A Better World

"They ought to see that it is the way of Providence to test by such afflictions men of virtuous and exemplary life, and to call them, once tried, to a better world, or to keep them for a while on earth for the accomplishment of other purposes."

- Augustine, City of God, 41.