Adonai

I think in our American selfishness we tend to focus on Romans 8:28, which tell us that God works all things together for our good. So when things don't seem to be working for our good, we get mad. But what does it mean for all things to work together for our good?

John Piper might shed a little light on the subject. He talks about how God is actually for Himself .. for us. He knows He is best for us, that His glory is the ultimate, and that He is completely love. Therefore, He is for Himself, but that is really what's best for us. Here's the link to the transcript of his sermon: Is God For Us or For Himself?

I think when we decide to follow Christ we should consider more Matthew 16:24-25, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Deny myself. Ouch. Give up my plans for my life in trust that He will do me one better. Stop thinking about my needs and trusting Him to meet them. Not thinking of my time as my own, ever. I trust His character more than I trust mine, but that doesn't make it much less painful.

This life is not about me. Period. It's about Him. How do I fit into the story?

What do you think? I'm curious.

For the Least of These

There's a Christian bookstore in Athens. After 3 years of wondering why there wasn't one, I found it yesterday. It's on Chase Street of Prince Ave and it's called the Carpenter's Shop. You should go. It has everything you could ever want.

I found a book there about world hunger. Semi-scoffing at the idea the author has of solving world hunger, I opened to the middle and began reading on the page that just so happened to be about this man's encounter with Mother Teresa. He went to visit her, and the very first thing she did was take his hand. She grabbed his fingers and as she pushed them down one by one, she said, "Remember this - 'for...the...least...of...these.'" One word for each finger. I don't think I'll ever forget it. And her words are backed up by the testimony of her life. The author commented that more than anything, Mother Teresa showed her love by touching the 'untouchable' and unwanted people. He said their faces lit up when she entered the room. I want to be that. Mother Teresa was poor. Ordinary. Yet her love for people through Jesus drove her to do what she did. There are most likely others who are doing the same thing but don't get the recognition from this world, but Jesus sees it. I want that.

Her advice to him: "Go out and love the people who are near you." That's all she was doing. That's what this world needs. There are people in every neighborhood, in every city, around every corner who need love. It's ordinary, and yet, it makes all the difference in the world.

I remembered another Mother Teresa quote I read last summer that shapes the way I act and think: 'We claim a loving, forgiving, humble God, but are we the living proof?' To be that for even 5 people in this world, that is enough. To be that for even 1 person maybe. For the least of these. In a way, we're all a least of these.

Fruit Loops

Wesley rocked house tonight.

The speaker guy man talked about a lot of great things that I needed to hear. What I want to write about and expand my thoughts on is the subject of a tree bearing fruit.

Jesus says as a tree bears fruit, so we will bear fruit when we become His children. John 15:1-5, He is the vine and we are the branches. No one can bear fruit apart from Him.

But the guy man brought up a really good point - trees don't struggle to bear fruit. They just ... do it. It's what trees do. Trees bear fruit, no questions asked. So why shouldn't it be the same with us, those of us who are God's children?

I feel like I struggle with this daily. I constantly second guess myself on whether or not I'm doing the right thing or if I should've hung out with that other person or gone to that other thing. I always wonder if I'm making a difference and feel as though I am not. I don't talk about Jesus to people as much as I wish I did.

But it shouldn't be a struggle. A relationship with Jesus is somewhat a struggle, because it's a relationship with an unseen God, and every relationship takes work no matter what. But bearing fruit should not be a struggle. It should be a natural part of who I am as redeemed.

So taking a look at my daily life, I am most certainly trying to live for Jesus. I try to make decisions based on what will bring Him the most glory. Am I achieving those things? Am I bearing fruit? I think it's a good question for anyone to ask. And if the answer is no, then why not? Is it because we're trying to bear fruit on our own when really the only way is when we're intimately connected with the vine?


And then I hear the words of guy man one more time. Jesus really likes you. He loves you. If I'm going to say it to other people, I must believe it for myself. He likes me. Does He like what I'm doing? I sure hope so. I continue to ask for leading, although many times it seems silent. We can never go wrong when we give our lives for others, since according to 1 John 2 we ought to walk in the way Jesus did.

But now I'm just rambling. Oh, to walk in the way Jesus did. Bearing fruit. Giving our lives unto death. Ouch.