I've been re-reading Donald Miller's book Searching For God Knows What. This means a couple of things. I've rethought whether I am a good writer. It means I've been refreshed to know, yet again, that this life is not about me and what I can possibly cram into a day, even if everything I crammed was uber-spiritual.
The most recent chapter I read talked about how we have taken the personal relationship out of the personal relationship with Christ, making Christianity more of a business transaction. It gets me excited when I think about God like this. I just hope I can treat others with the same conclusions that Donald comes to.
It makes sense when you read scripture. For instance, 1 Timothy 6:6-10 reads this way; "A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.
But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after."
I included the last couple of verses so that you can read Paul's total thought here, but what struck me this morning when I read this was the part about being yourself before God. See, if religion is about rules, I don't want to be myself. I want to be someone better. But since God knows the real me anyway, it's comforting to know that I can come before Him broken and frustrated and He is ready to relate with me. Where I am. As I am.
This could change everything.
The most recent chapter I read talked about how we have taken the personal relationship out of the personal relationship with Christ, making Christianity more of a business transaction. It gets me excited when I think about God like this. I just hope I can treat others with the same conclusions that Donald comes to.
It makes sense when you read scripture. For instance, 1 Timothy 6:6-10 reads this way; "A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.
But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after."
I included the last couple of verses so that you can read Paul's total thought here, but what struck me this morning when I read this was the part about being yourself before God. See, if religion is about rules, I don't want to be myself. I want to be someone better. But since God knows the real me anyway, it's comforting to know that I can come before Him broken and frustrated and He is ready to relate with me. Where I am. As I am.
This could change everything.
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