Gritty Tuesday #1

Gritty Tuesdays #1  

Each Tuesday (God willing), I will post something gritty. By gritty I mean something that, when brushed up against, feels a little like sand-paper.

So here it goes...

Romans 12: 9-12 (ESV) says this: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

When I read this, I wonder how frequently I fall short of these expectations. I wonder how much it matters that I fall short.

Those words do not promise riches or happiness. They are not some magic formula for ‘the life you’ve always wanted,’ and it’s not like obeying them will guarantee me a place in heaven.

But they do convict me.

These words create in me a longing for discipline. I long for my thoughts and actions to produce a demeanour of that humble stature.

Why, if I know of no comprehensible reward for following these commands, do I desire so much to abide by them?

Frankly, Jesus is more than happiness and riches. And we should act like it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Your Own Words

Remember back in grade school, when the teacher would ask you a question and you would repeat back, word for word, to him/her the answer you found in the text book? Remember how good it felt to be right? Fast forward a few years into middle school or high school. Remember that nagging teacher who would force you to change that perfectly worded answer you found in the text book into your own version of the same answer? Your teacher would normally say something like, "Now Billy, put that answer into your own words please." That's normally when Billy would let out a big groan. Why wasn't the answer from the book good enough? I think that's a valid question. It's made me think recently about why people continue to compose new songs, give new sermons, write new blog posts, paint new paintings... Our Christian faith has a rich base of writings, hymns, and art. There is no shortage of artistic expression with our God as the subject. With that in mind, why do we need ...
Read more

A Good Friend

Quote from Augustine’s Confessions (4.8.13) “… longing for someone absent with impatience and welcoming the home-comer with joy. These and similar tokens of friendship, which spring spontaneously from the hearts of those who love and are loved in return - in countenance, tongue, eyes, and a thousand ingratiating gestures--were all so much fuel to melt our souls together, and out of the many made us one.” This is a short exert from Augustine’s Confessions. It’s part of a lament of sorts, grieving a lost friend. When I read it, I feel the emotion in his tone. It’s inspiring and heart-breaking in the same breath. To find such intimacy in friendship is stunningly difficult today. Today these words might be met with uncomfortable squirms from most men. I think that’s a shame. I think friendship, the kind that Augustine speaks of here, is generally lost. In the midst of all of our communication we have not the time, nor the desire to know, understand, and invest in a friend. And we are worse...
Read more

Seminary Application

I'm currently applying to Seminary. If accepted, I'll attend Bethel Seminary's InMinistry program beginning this fall. I've heard great things about the program and I'm very much looking forward to participating in it. If you're thinking about attending seminary, or you're just interested in what types of questions someone applying to seminary are asked to answer, you can read the quesions and my essay/response below: Please write your response to the following topics (Please make it one and one half to two typed pages, single spaced.) 1. Describe your Christian experience, including conversion and significant factors in your spiritual formation. 2. Describe your understanding of the task of ministry, previous ministry experiences, and your own sense of call. 3. Comment on your understanding of the mission of the Church and the role of the local church in that mission. 4. Explain why you want to pursue a seminary education.  My friend and I climbed the bleac...
Read more