Wednesday, September 01, 2010

In the world...

Those of us who write or teach extensively about our union with Christ emphasize being over doing. And we should. In the context of our spirit union, doing flows from being. But if we are to give Jesus free reign to live His life through us—if we are to truly experience His abundant life—we are going to have to make some choices. One of those choices involves detaching ourselves from a preoccupation with the values of this world...

When I was on the road speaking to groups, I was always glad to have people come to conferences. However, I knew that if they were just looking for another wedge of pie that might make life a little happier, a little easier, a little less stressful, then they were missing the point. Jesus doesn't have another Band-Aid to patch you up with. He really doesn't...

Not to belabor the point, but there's so much activity for what we don't need. I'm not speaking against things. But if we're talking about a lifestyle of living from the unseen and eternal realm, some of us are going to have to make some changes. Otherwise, we're constantly going to be too distracted to ever be in touch with anything but the seen and temporal. The more we let the world beset us by dictating priorities, the more traps we are going to get into. That's a fact. I simply want you to mull this one over with the Holy Spirit. Do you really need everything you're working for?— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 215, 216-217

<idle musing>
Yep. That's the part that gets people. Everyone wants more of God's blessings, but do we want more of just God? Tozer said that anytime we say "God and" we have fallen into idolatry; I'd say he is right.

We have to live dead to self—and alive in Jesus. That means we make choices. Some are pretty easy and obvious, but others aren't always understood by those around you. But, you make those choices because you want more of Jesus in your life, shining through you, pouring out of you. The world won't understand that; you'll get a blank stare sometimes, other times downright hostility. No matter; it's worth the cost.
</idle musing>

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