Monday, May 18, 2015

Eat those lima beans!

It seems to me that complacent Christians don’t believe that all of God’s rules are meant to bring earthly joy, which means they don’t believe that God genuinely wants our best. Our actions usually prove what we really believe. If we believed that obedience brings joy, we wouldn’t need to be told to do the right thing. Instead, we see obedience as the spiritual equivalent of eating our lima beans. (I detest lima beans.)

Obsessive Christians don’t really believe that obedience brings earthly joy either, so they obey God out of joyless obligation. Obsessive Christians keep shoving the lima beans down their throats because they’re supposed to. They believe they have to suffer now in order to be happy in heaven.—Radically Normal, electronic edition

<idle musing>
Me too! I hate lima beans, so his description is exactly correct...whyare you doing what you are doing? And, do you really believe that God is good?

If we are honest with ourselves—ok, if I am honest with myself—the answer is "sometimes." Sometimes I really believe God is good. Other times, well, I'm not so sure—not that I would admit that at the time! But my actions show what I really believe!

Lord, have mercy! Transform me (us?) into a people who truly believe you are good.
</idle musing>

2 comments:

THE SALT WORKS said...

When I am where God wants me to be, and I'm busy doing what I know God has called me to do then I am fine. I thrive when I do what God wants me to do, and in those times I am also pursuing relationship with God, because I know I need him. It isn't an either or, it is a one serves the other type thing. I can't possibly do what God has called me to do, so I know God has to lead, and I have to follow.

The unfortunate thing is I've spent far too much time believing in my own brokenness and fallen self than I have believing God. It's not so much unbelief in the classic sense but rather believing something that used to be true about me before the cross. I certainly never set out to deny the cross, but that is what I've done. Not anymore!! Time to live post-cross, resurrection. It is so much better, and yes I'm happy, and I'm loving and living in Christ.

jps said...

Lonnie,

Exactly! We are a resurrection people!

James