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Tuesday, February 24, 2004 |
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Tuesday, January 06, 2004 |
"(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)"
Numbers 12:3
Now, wouldn't that be an incredible claim to fame. :)
6:39:19 AM
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Monday, December 29, 2003 |
I am currently reading a book entitled, "What Happens When We Pray for Our Families" by Evelyn Christenson. In it I came across the a quote similar to one by George F. Will recorded here:
"In the 1940s a survey listed the top seven discipline problems in public schools: talking, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, getting out of turn in line, wearing improper clothes, not putting paper in wastebaskets. A 1980s survey lists these top seven: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, assault. (Arson, gang warfare and venereal disease are also-rans.)"
The quote struck me considerably and I have reflected on it quite a bit especially in conversations with fiends. It is certainly scary for those of us raising children. As it turns out the lists lack scientific credibility but regardless, I think it reflects a true trend that is seemingly accelerating.
How does one balance raising children that are protected appropriately early on but also responsible once they face such challenges?
2:54:31 PM
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Monday, December 15, 2003 |
In church today John Underhill spoke on the topic of "Productive Spirituality." His primary point was that there is an abundance of things to do in this world, and many of them are not bad in the least. However, in choosing how to spend one's time, he argued that we should question whether what we are selecting to do is "productive." Is it contributing to being a fruitful Christian. He gave the example of his daughter reading a "fantasy" book and indicating that it was not bad in itself but that perhaps there were more productive choices that could be made.
I really struggle with this question. I have wrestled with it many a time, especially in regards to my work. I believe that God has gifted me in many areas and that with his guidance I could have a significant effect in bringing about his work if I was in full-time ministry rather than a full-time computer nerd. So the question, "Is activity A or B productive or fruitful regardless of whether it is good or bad presents" a real challenge to me. As a computer nerd am I being all that God wants me to be? (By the way, I found William Hendricks' and Doug Sherman's book, Your Work Matters To God to help wrestle with this topic. It doesn't provide the answers necessarily but it helps probe the issue within your own life.)
I confess that I have still not fully come to terms with the question of whether my work is the most "productive" choice I could be making but I have come to the point of believing that it is, none-the-less, the right choice for me at this time in my life. In other words, I am reasonably confident that my work is what God wants from me at the moment. The question as to whether a choice is "productive" can be significantly misleading, however. Sure in the case where the answer is yes you are fine. However, whenever the answer is no (perhaps most of the time) then little conclusion about the activity can be drawn (except to note that the answer wasn't yes). Furthermore, as I discussed a while back, there are times when choosing to do exercise or even veg. out in front of the TV is the appropriate choice, even when it would be difficult to argue that it is doing much to bring God's kingdom here on earth.
In summary, I don't think the question, is appropriate and the only time that it can provide any guidance is when the anser is yes. Choices about time are way more complicated than this question implies.
1:14:10 AM
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Currently my church is doing a series on John 15:1-8 and being a "fruitful Christian". I think that typically this is generally interpreted in regards to how effective one is at sharing their faith. However, I appreciated John Underhill's broader perspective on the topic as follows:
What is a fruitful Christian?
- Fruitful Christians do good to others (Titus 3:14, Colossians 1:10)
- Fruitful Christians are growing in Christ-like character (Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Peter 1:5-8)
- Fruitful Christians help other trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and grow to serve Him as Lord (Romans 1:13, 1 Corinthians 16:15)
- Fruitful Christians give their resources to God for His work (Romans 15:28, Philippians 4:17)
- Fruitful Christians honor God by the words they speak (Hebrews 13:15)
- Fruitful Christians pray with results (John 15:7, 16)
- Fruitful Christians learn and obey Christ's Word (John 15:3, 7, 10)
- Fruitful Christians possess a joy that doesn't depend on circumstances (John 15:11)
- Fruitful Christians love other sacrificially (John 15:12-13)
1:12:49 AM
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Sunday, December 14, 2003 |
Today was the final episode of Survivor. Elisabeth went to join the neighbors to watch while I stayed home with the kids. When she got back she was sharing how so much stuff on TV is such garbage. Hmm... I thought:
Up until moving into our current home a year and a half ago, we had never had a TV that was hooked up (we could watch rented movies). I confess that I was somewhat concerned that having the TV would be a problem for me as it is the type of thing I can be easily addicted to. As it turns out, I have watched very little TV. Over the past year I would estimate it has been less that 50 hours total, at least in my home. (I have perhaps watched a similar amount when traveling and staying in hotels.)
As I look back on the TV missed and Elisabeth's comments about how bad it, is all I can do is agree. It occurs to me that aside from 3 or 4 significant news stories, I have never regretted not watching TV. Sure, there are some negatives to my TV abstinence. I am certainly clueless in discussions about this advertisement, that show, and what-not around the water cooler or pop-culture-quiz-game. However, this inability to chit-chat on such topics pails in comparison to my gratitude at not getting sucked in to something I am confident I would simply regret.
In no way am I advocating that to watch X amount of TV is wrong or even bad. This is one of those things that each person has a different level of appropriateness. In my case TV watching should be low. For others, TV is presumably much more acceptable. That said, I would be interesting to know how often an avid TV watcher would declare they regretted watching TV and if the regret becomes desensitized the more avid the viewer?
I did a quick search on the Internet and found some links that had some rather staggering statistics on this topic:
11:49:05 PM
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Sunday, November 02, 2003 |
This weekend I attended a Family Life Marriage Conference at the Coeur d'Alene resort. The material presented was solid and served as a great reminder for making my marriage strong. Of far greater value, however, was dedicated, un-distracted, one-on-one time with Elisabeth. Elisabeth was even able to refrain from calling home to check on the kids. It was truly a phenomenal weekend in which our marriage was greatly enriched by such focused time together.
Goals:
- Attend a marriage conference of some kind at least once a year.
- Take a at least one weekend per. year away with Elisabeth that is devoted entirely to spending time together.
(Note to Self: Refrain from trying to accomplish anything, conquer anything, or do something you have never done before. Just be together.)
P.S. Thanks to my parents for babysitting. We couldn't have done it without them.
12:13:36 AM
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Thursday, July 17, 2003 |
Here some Bible software for the Pocket PC that my brother recommended. I really like the startup page. Rather than requiring you to enter the book, chapter and verse it allows you to drill down by simply clicking the book then the chapter then the verse. Simply but a pretty significant UI helper given the Pocket PC.
Along the same lines, there is a WAP online bible at http://GodBib.com.
11:16:47 PM
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Monday, July 07, 2003 |
I must confess that there was a time when I thought that going to a see a Baptism was low on my priority list and wasn't really relevant to anyone except those that knew the person being baptized. Well, that has certainly changed. Over the past few years I have probably attended four or so services where multiple people have been baptized and each time I have come away completely blessed for the time. There is just something about witnessing people from all walks of life declaring public ally their devotion to Christ. Each testimony is unique and each one has a nugget that penetrates my heart in some way and challenges my own walk. I highly recommend these services to other.
By the way, I should mention that aside from simply being an act of obedience to Christ, baptism has no special spiritual implications. In other words, being baptized does not make one into a Christian. You need to already be a Christian before you can be baptized and publicly declare your faith in Christ. For some baptism happens shortly after they receive Christ and for others there may be a long time between when one becomes a Christian and when they get baptized. Being baptized as a baby, however, does not make you into a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage at night makes you into a mechanic. Since baptism is designed to allow Christians to publicly declare their faith, it is best when baptism is left until a person is at an age were they can reasonably communicate their faith.
9:14:15 PM
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Before you can answer this question you have to first ask better than who? Christians are certainly not better than non-Christians. Absolutely not! However, Christians are better than they would be if they had not become Christians. In other words, if Kevin becomes a Christian he is a better person than what he would have been had he not become a Christian.
12:22:40 PM
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There is this book that we read to Benjamin sometimes called Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram (Great book!). In it a baby rabbit tells her parent how much she loves her and the parent responds in kind but with an order of magnitude greater. In one of the interchanges the baby rabbit holds out her hands as wide as she can and says, "I love you this much." In response the parent holds their hands out as wide as they can and says, "I love you this much."
As I reflect on this line I think about Jesus saying, "I love you this much!" as he hangs on the cross with his arms and legs outstretched.
12:02:02 PM
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Monday, June 23, 2003 |
As I continue to the process of evaluating how I spend my time I was struck by the phrase, "Failure is to succeed at something that really doesn't matter." Wow! I really like that. It kinda puts a negative spin on the past as it causes me to have to re-evaluate things that I had previously thought I succeeded at. It also potentially provides guidance for the future, but perhaps not as much as I first thought. Let's consider some examples:
- Ran Bloomsday in less than 7:15 min/mile
Success? Sure, I felt pretty good about that pace given my twice a week training schedule.
Does it matter? Hmmm, the pace sure doesn't. The time I spent training with others and the fact that it challenged me to do some regular exercise that I wouldn't have done otherwise. Yes, perhaps.
- Wrote a total of 3 computer books
Success? Debatable, at a minimum I would argue that the COM+ one was a success although I was a little late in getting it to market.
Does it matter? Really to answer the does it matter question one needs to have a good understanding of what does matter.This is, of course, a lot of what the Purpose Driven Life book focuses on. This book concludes that the five purposes of life are 1) Live a life of worship, 2) Love you neighbor as yourself, 3) Go and make disciples, 4) fellowship, and 5) Become like Christ. Hmmm, it is hard to fit writing computer books into any of these five items. But is that all there is too it? Based on these criteria, where does my work fall?
AT this point coming up with more examples doesn't seem to make sense. I have not fully figured out how my life (work, play, sleep, etc.) fits in with my God given purpose, however. As a result, I am not always sure what does matter.
Clearly, this is a nice saying that I believe can provide guidance on prioritizing items in the future. I need to figure some more of my purpose, however, to be able to use the statement with it full force.
Upadate 6/26/06:
I found the source of this quote: "I don't worry about failing but that I'll succeed at something that doesn't matter."--Howard Hendricks
11:58:36 PM
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Friday, June 06, 2003 |
Forgiveness is an act of obedience not an act of feeling. You don't have to feel like forgiving someone in order to forgive them. You just need to do it and then the feelings will often follow.
As a side not, be willing to give and receive forgiveness.
7:36:52 PM
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As I wrestle with the issue of time management and balancing my time between serving and being with my family I wonder if it is possible to spend too much time with family? If I take into consideration the fact that I have a 6 month old and a three year old at home and that there are no extended family members nearby, is it possible that I am currently at a stage in life where it is appropriate to not be serving God. Or, perhaps to make is sound less drastic, that the best way for me to serve God right now is for me to be spending more time with my family, even to the exclusion of serving others and using my gifts to their full capacity.
I am not at all confident of the answer. If the answer is to not serve God outside at the moment when would this phase end? I am confident that I should end but how does one determine when. Surely there is going to clamoring for my time by my family for many (perhaps 12) years yet and but I am confident that it would not be acceptable to not serve for outside the home for that long.
By the way, I am curious what percentage of American wives believe their husbands spend enough time at home?
7:27:18 PM
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About two weeks ago I felt like God has been virtually yelling at me to scrutinize his Lordship in my life. Unfortunately, the message to examine my life has been perfectly clear but the examination has not yielded any clear insight (don't you hate it when that happens.)
The issue:
How does Jesus' Lordship play out in my life when it comes to my time?
When I think of the Lordship of Christ in my life I think of the following:
- Putting Christ above all else in my life
- Being obedient to Christ in every way
- Submitting all areas of my life to His scrutiny
- Constantly evaluating my life to find ways I need to change to be more like Him
- Living as Jesus would if he were Mark Michaelis in the 21st century (always asking what would Jesus do and the responding accordingly.)
- Spending my time appropriately balancing my life such that I am serving God
- Living my life to the glory of God
- Lifestyle worship of God
- Making my life a living sacrifice for Christ
Okay... enough of the vision... now what does that mean? As I consider the issue of Lordship and my time, three main considerations have arisen.
- Firstly, Elisabeth is quite disappointed about my decision not to cancel my trip up Mt. Rainier. Since George canceled because of an injury she believes that there is little purpose in me going as I will not nearly have the quality time with my brother because there are three people going rather than four (I have since provided an explanation and she is now very graciously understanding even if she doesn't like it).
- Secondly, through the current section of the Purpose Driven Life book I have become clearly convicted that I am not serving God, that I am not using the gifts that God has given me for his glory.
- Lastly, through some Willow Creek messages I have been challenged with the atrocity of the excuse that the reason I am not living for Christ more is because I am simply too busy, that business is the main obstacle in my relationship with Jesus.
So, now what? I don't believe the response is as obvious as it might seem...or at least I would like to be given the grace to rationalize and wrestle on the issue for a little while:
My level of service in the church is currently zero. I am simply not doing anything and really, I haven't done anything of significance since moving to Spokane. For the first year this was expected as Elisabeth and I agreed that during our first year in Spokane I would not take on any additional obligations and instead focus on family alone. That year is now over but I have still not begun to serve God in any way. Several opportunities have come along such as leading a small group or playing guitar for worship but Elisabeth is still not very supportive of me doing these things and this stance is only stronger with all the travel that I have had this year. However, the bottom line is that my serving God is zero and he has gifted me (as he has everyone) for a lot more than that.
It is no surprise that may work takes up the biggest portion of my time. This is probably true for the vast majority of people that work full-time. What is less prevalent is the fact that my work does require some travel. Most recently this can more accurately be defined as too much travel. This is almost certainly the key issue for Elisabeth and the month of June is especially bad.
The next issue relates to my personal time doing exercise and short trips unrelated to work. This includes being gone for four days for the Odyssey Adventure Race and the up coming six day trip up Mount Rainier. The vast majority of my exercise is during the hours when I am at work. During lunch I attempt to run three days a week and play volleyball the other two. On weekends during the winter I had an indoor soccer game but I generally only went to the games that were late at night so that I was around for the kids. So, there is no doubt that I am doing some stuff that is not family, work or church related. In fact, it is pretty much self related since I am not really doing it for any other reason than trying to stay in shape and because I enjoy it. (Another reason is because I value the time hanging out with non-Christians but even if this wasn't the case I would still exercise so it is less relevant.) The question is how much of what I will call self time is appropriate? Without at least some time to myself like this I am pretty confident that I would be grouchy and unpleasant to be around. There is no doubt that I need this time to stay in shape and that at least to some degree staying in shape relates to treating my body as as temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). Although I certainly enjoy adventure racing I believe my races are rare enough to be a reasonable. The fact of the matter is, however, without a race ahead of me I wouldn't run. The race provides just enough motivation to get me out there training. How much is too much when it comes to exercise?
In summary:
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I am not serving enough.
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I am traveling way to much up through the end of June.
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I need personal time for things like exercise and some time or race is required for me to be motivated enough to run.
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My family wants more of me.
but (aside from the travel) I am not sure exactly how and what to adjust, just that I need to make adjustments.
6:07:15 PM
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Wednesday, May 28, 2003 |
At times I have been accused of being more of a brain than a heart. It was interesting to me, therefore, when I was asked how I felt about a really difficult issue in my life and I said I didn't know the answer yet because I hadn't thought through my emotions. This is of course a typical response from a thinking (versus a feelings) oriented person but it really described well where I was at in wrestling with the particular issue. What exactly does thinking through emotions mean, however? Is this an oxymoron? Is it possible to think through emotions and if one does do this do they end up in touch with the underlying emotions or instead simply control the emotions? Whatever the answer, thinking through emotions is a pretty common occurrence for me so I am curious to know whether it helps me get more in touch with my feelings or not.
11:16:29 AM
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Wednesday, May 14, 2003 |
I found this article quite intriguing.
If one takes a purely surface look at the Matrix I believe that the result would be acknowledgment that the movie simple entertainment. Part of the entertainment, however, is that afterward movie goers continue find it intellectually stimulating, in a similar way that Back to the Future made for entertaining mental gymnastics. In other words it is fun to plop yourself into the movie and wonder how you could identify if the world was indeed like the Matix (in Back to the Future it was fun to play what if scenarios with time turned back on itself). In such a way the movie has little impact except for pleasure.
If one goes down a little deeper in the plop-yourself-into-the-movie process, however, one may consider the self-help perspective the Matrix advocates, the idea that you can do anything if only you can imagine yourself doing it or believe in your self enough. In fact, the Matix takes this idea to the extreme and even presents scenes of one practicing this (such as Neo practicing martial arts with Morpheus). I think there is certainly some truth to having confidence in yourself but from a Christian perspective, one should be careful that belief in self does not out weigh belief in God. More importantly, belief in self should not take precedence over an acknowledgment that God is actively involved in the universe, that he cares for you personally and that ultimately we are dependent on Him. Unfortunately, our dependence on God is not advocated much (if at all?) within the Matrix.
If we step back and take another surface view of the movie one needs to acknowledge that overtly the movie is not advocating Christian values. The scenes at the apartment with the kids bending spoons and the find your way or Neo's confusion about whether he is the one seem much more of an Eastern bent than anything else. The problem with this is that most people probably don't take the time to delve deeper into considering what the movie is saying about real life, truth or religion. As a result, they are bombarded with yet another non-Christian perspective that on it own is presumably not formative in ones thinking but en-mass with all the other anti-Christian world views will make an impact unless intentionally thought through.
What is important to consider about this article, however, is that it encourages people to think more deeply about the religion in general. and this I believe should always be encoraged. In fact, the idea of showing this movie at a church function and then leading a discussion of its value and truths seems to me to be a great way of bridging the gap and encouraging non-Christians to engage in a discussion about Christianity.
(As far as the Matrix Glassary goes I would say that I almost entirely dismiss the correlations between Matrix images and characters and those found in the Bible. I seriously doubt that many of these terms were intended by the authors to have such subtle correlation to Christianity and any forced correlation is meaningless in my opinion.)
6:22:26 AM
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Tuesday, May 13, 2003 |
Zondervan is in the process of releasing some new Bible Study software. It looks pretty comprehensive in terms of on-line content and supposedly even supports note taking. However, it doesn't seem to support inductive Bible Study or Manuscript study methods. Notes can only be attached to verses, for example, not to words. (Perhaps attaching to words is unrealistic?) Also, this seems to be desktop focused only so no Pocket-PC support yet (or even mentioned).
The price is pretty steep for the professional and scholar versions but the lower end versions don't seem too unreasonably priced.
2:33:59 AM
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Tuesday, April 29, 2003 |
In this chapter, Rick Warren asks you to consider what your life picture or life metaphor is. Examples include a party, race, marathon and battle. What your life metaphor is reflects you view on life. If you see your life as a race then speed is probably important to you and you will likely find yourself often in a hurry.
For me my life metaphor is probably adventure. This aligns closely with my recent discussion on being all I can be. As in that discussion, I need to watch that the adventure is Christ focused.
I disagree with Rick somewhat on hit identification that the Bible offers essentially three metaphors: "Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment." Sure each of these are true to some extent I believe there are a lot more just as significant Biblical life metaphors (in fact race happens to be one of them).
I am especially skeptical of Rick's emphasis on life being a test from God such as when he says, "God continually test people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity and loyalty." Are these tests really all from God? Rick goes on to write, "You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather." It is not that I disagree that God sometimes tests us, I simply wonder if he "continually", "always" tests us. Sure, God cares and watches our responses to everyday life but is each event we encounter a specific "test" from him. I am not convinced.
Other notes:
- "...everything you do, even simply daily chores, has eternal implications."
10:18:17 PM
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- When you start living in light of eternity, "suddenly many activities, goals and even problems... appear trivial, petty and unworthy of your attention. The closer you live to God the smaller everything else appears. When you live in light of eternity your values change." (page 37-38)
- "Death is not your termination, but your transition." (page 38) "Only a fool would go through life unprepared for what we all know will eventually happen. (page 39)
9:57:04 PM
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Saturday, April 26, 2003 |
I already commented some on the March 3rd New Community talk from Willow Creek entitled "Flow, A Beautiful Mind," by John Ortberg (see Avoiding Possible Delusion Through Small Group Discernment). I would like to add some further thoughts, however.
"All thoughts have a spiritual charge to them and thoughts with a mind set on the spirit always lead to hope and never despair, virtue and never sin, growth and never stagnation, truth and never illusion, authentic love and never arrogance.
Essentially thought governed by the spirit lead to life and those governed by the sinful life lead to death. Therefore,
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2)
John Ortberg goes on to describe some research published in a book called Flow. The research concludes that when people are alone and not distracted by activity their minds tend to wonder to thoughts of awareness of disconnectedness, anger, anxiety about the future, and chronic self-preoccupation. It is no wonder, therefore, why people generally flee from solitude.
As I reflect on this I wonder how much of my thought life leads to life and how much leads to death? Are all negative thoughts a result of not being spiritually focused? When I get discouraged and wonder whether my marriage will ever be as good as Elisabeth and I dream it could be, whether my son will ever start obeying me the first time or whether I will ever gain control over my workload am I perhaps the victim of thoughts not lead by the Holy Spirit. Yes! And, in response, I need to label these as such, identify them as illusions that do not reflect reality or thoughts inspired by Jesus Christ. At the very least I should not be sharing them with other unless it is to request that they help me to identify the illusion and over come it. Actually, many times these thoughts may be true (for example I don't really expect my son will start obeying me the first time...at least no always) but they are corrupted and moved inappropriately to center stage such that they get the focus rather than "things above."
Note that this doesn't mean that bad things won't happen but rather that even when they do, it is how I respond that really makes the difference. God never desires for me to be joyless! Never! Even when life is seemingly destitute or a loved one dies. Sadness is totally appropriate and God desires so much to comfort me. However, God does not wish that I be miserable and he wants to help me as much as I am willing, to overcome the sadness. In the day-to-day events of life there will be pain. What I do with that, however, is up to me. Ultimately, I need to choose joy! This reflects a mind set on Christ.
God, help me to be Christ centered in all I think and do.
10:55:32 PM
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These reflections are based on a Dec. 4th Willow Creek New Community talk entitled, "Recognizing Divine Interruptions" by John Ortberg.
In the talk John exposited on Luke 1:26-56. This is the passage where Mary is visited by an angel and foretold the birth of Jesus. Perhaps the key point that John makes is that Mary has a high interruptibility quotient and that furthermore, when she is interrupted, she respond with, "I am the Lord's servant" (Luke 1:38).
So Lord, what is my interruptibility quotient? It is certainly not as high as it should be. Just as importantly, when you do interrupt me do I have the attitude of being your servant? Am I truly willing to do whatever you ask? I am reminded as I consider this question that it is not just the big interruptions either. In fact, it is possible that there won't be any big interruptions until I am able to handle the little interruptions appropriately. God, please help me to better monitor your channel and until I get good at it would you please yell just a little louder, especially when I have selective hearing or choose to ignore you altogether.
10:26:16 PM
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Chapter 3 discusses five of the most common forces that drive people: guilt, resentment and anger, fear, materialism and lastly, the need for approval. As I carefully considered each of these none of them seemed to be true for me. Sure, I am perhaps motivated by a little of each but I don't think any of them is particularly compelling to me.
And yet many people close to me would describe me as a driven person (not something I take as a complement). What drives me? I discussed this some with Elisabeth and her response was that I am driven to be the best I can be and to push myself to the limit in every area not just certain areas of my life. I am driven by self achievement, to be self actualized. I am striving to be all that I can be and live life to the fullest.
Personally I think Elisabeth's perception is quite accurate. I too would say that I am driven to be all that I can be. (She knows me well.) The hard question in response to this, however, is what is wrong with that? Elisabeth points out that it is (or at least it can be) very selfish, self focused... living for self. Yikes... again, there is a lot of truth to this. However, this does not mean that being driven to be all that I can be is something to try to abandon. Rather I think an adjustment is required. I need to focus my energies to be all that God wants me to be. Perhaps a subtle distinction in wording but a ginormous difference in practice. I confess I am certainly guilty of being too self focused and too little God focused. To be all that God wants me to be is to take my drivenness to be all that I can be and make sure that the scope of all that I can be is limited to the things God wants me to be. In so doing, I may have to give up some seemingly good things.
On this idea Elisabeth is in complete agreement. She points out that I can't do it all. I want to but I can't. I have a desire to do everything but the challenge for me is to give up some areas and focus on particular areas that are most important. This means often giving up good things for even better things. Or, as Rick Warren points out (italics mine),
"If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most." and
"You become effective by being selective."
(page 32)
This all sounds great in principal but I struggle to understand how to apply it. It often seems a stretch to come up with how my work is eternally focused. And yet, at least for the moment, I think my work is the place that God wants me to be. What about exercising? Sure, God wants us to treat our bodies as holy temples but there is a huge spectrum of opinions on what that means in terms of the amount of exercise required. The struggle for me is determining what are the (perhaps even good) activities that I need to prune from my life. Especially when some of the most major portions of my life appear to lack eternal focus. Frankly, Rick Warren does a poor job of addressing how the principles he outlines play out in real life.
None-the-less, for me the change is clear. I need to be driven by all that God wants me to be. To be the best that I can be at doing the things and being the person that Jesus wants me to be. Simply making this question a part of my regular routine I expect will begin to help direct me in the right direction.
Some final notes on the chapter:
"Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. They want to be remembered when they're gone. Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says. What people fail to realize is that all achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations fade, and tributes are fogotten.... Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal. A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy.
(page 33)
I agree with this point wholeheartedly. It is interesting that this provides a different goal than many parents actually strive for with their children. For many parents the goal as a parent is to have a lasting impact on your children such that they people that are going to remember you most will have fond memories of how wonderful you were. To have a, "the greatest Dad" written on your tombstone is one of the ultimate tributes. However, legacy is not the goal. Legacy may, in some circumstances, be a side effect of the goal but the goal it self is to be all that God wants you to be regardless of what legacy that may leave.
Lastly, at the end of the chapter Rick Warren says that God will ask us two crucial questions when we die. Firstly, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?". To this question I agree entirely. This is the deciding question between those that are saved and those that are not. The second question, according to Rick Warren, is, "What did you do with what I gave you?" And he goes on to say that this will determine what we do for eternity. On this point I am not convinced. Unfortunately, Rick doesn't reference any scripture in regards to this question and I struggle to see that such a question would really take such prominence. Hmmmm.....
9:34:18 PM
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Thursday, April 24, 2003 |
In a March 3rd New Community talk from Willow Creek entitled "Flow, A Beautiful Mind," John Ortberg mentioned the movie about John Nash called A Beautiful Mind. In the movie John Nash suffers from delusions of people that talk to him. At one point in the movie a man come to visit John Nash and discuss with the fact that John is a Noble Prize candidate. In response, John Nash turns to one of his students and says, "Do you see that man standing there?" The idea is that John is looking to others to help discern delusions from reality.
In the same way we need to be looking to friends and our small group to help us discern falsehoods from truth. John Nash's humility in asking a student adds significantly to the example of seeking discernment as this is often a key ingredient to seeking God's will.
8:12:53 AM
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Wednesday, April 23, 2003 |
We were very surprised and disappointed to discover that the in-print version of the NIV is different from the version posted at BibleGateway.com. Here are a few examples:
- John 19:16 in the printed NIV is split in the middle with a title, "The Crucifixion." Surprisingly, the BibleGateway version of verse 16 is shorter and verse 17 actually starts in the middle of verse 16 of the in-print version. In other words, part of verse 16 is placed into verse 17. Yikes!
- There is a space before a comma following O LORD in the BibleGateway version of Psalm 5:1.
Now these may appear arbitrary but we just happened to run across these two during a cursory look last night. What concerns me is how many of these may be out there.
I took the time to submit feedback on the typographical errors here.
1:52:21 PM
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Tuesday, April 22, 2003 |
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