I am closing in on finishing one of the books that has been on my reading list for a while: Called to Greatness, by Ron Hutchcraft (Moody Publishers, 2004). It is a book that challenges the reader to spend the rest of his or her life doing significant things, but especially to share the Good News of Christ with those who have not heard it. If you have never read a book like this, I recommend this one. The author gives a lot of helpful strategies and encouragements--as well as some hard-hitting challenges--to be sowers, tenders and reapers in league with Christ (who is the grower).
Among these pages, though, I found something that I have not seen before. Hutchcraft was trying to assist those who do not feel they have much of a personal story to tell. Why? Because they have followed Christ since childhood. They may have an "after" piece but not much of a "before" piece to contrast with what life in Christ is like. He suggests that these people (and I am one of them) talk about what their life would be like without Jesus, especially in light of our sinful tendencies. And he offers some specific arenas to consider. Here is his inventory:
The difference Jesus makes in...
your lonely times
your stressful times
your tragic times
you as a husband/wife
you as a parent
you as a single person
your depressing times
your failures
dealing with your pain
the death of someone close
medical bad news
I know that there are a lot of people who read this blog frequently but don't comment. You've told me this. And that's fine. But here's a post for everyone! Would you pick one of the arenas above and offer some thoughts on the difference Jesus makes for you in this regard? You can remain anonymous. That's fine, too. But I cannot even begin to imagine how fortified we will be in reading these comments of yours. And we just might find them to be amazing enough to read some of them aloud at our upcoming anniversary celebration. After all, TFH is not our house; it's His!
God Keeps Leading
11 years ago
6 comments:
Jesus makes a difference in every aspect of my life. Not just in the bad parts of my life but the good ones too. I have learned and I am still learning to keep Him at the forefront of everything that I do. Its like being in a room full of people and you can hear someone else talking yet still have a conversation with the person right in front of you. I have been there in life when I didnt want God there and I know first hand what thats like and now that I have put on the life jacket of Jesus, I do not and will not take that jacket off. The more I learn of Him, the more I want Him.
For nothing is impossible with God. LUKE 1:37
If you can, said Jesus,
Everything is possible for him who believes. MARK 9:23
with me...he saved me, i can't think of anything more amazing than that, i can't think of anything that could drive me more than that, he saved someone like me. someone who hated him. yet he loved me. and died for me.
I can't imagine trying to maintain a marriage without Christ's help. It's a constant challenge, not because my husband is hard to deal with :), but because we are humans that sin. Both of us. if Christ's redemption were not a part of the mix, if I could not pray to see my husband through God's eyes when I don't feel like loving, if I had to try to always trust in my husband rather than trusting God with my husband I just don't see how it could last. It wouldn't. Not for me. It through Christ alone and the hope of what we are in Him that allows me to stay for the long haul. And it is through Christ that I not only stay, but am refreshed in my love for my husband and enjoy being with him as much now (or more) than I did from day one.
(Sorry about the typos.)
I sometimes wonder what I would be like today if I had known about Jesus from the beginning. If I had been born to godly parents who raised me up in the ways of the Lord.For me that was not the case, and my life took some awful turns that took me down some terrible consequences because of my choices. I take no pride in my testimony, and there is no glory in it. There are only haunting memories of how I have hurt myself and others. Today my life is different, and better as Jesus continues to grow me up, but the memories of my past linger, and what I thought was cool or fun or exciting has come full circle. I see old bad habits now in my kids, and as I see them making similar choices to mine that I made pre-Jesus, my heart aches and remembers the consequences that followed.
And the saying.."Old habits die hard" has been somewhat true. I was not given immediate deliverance as some have testified, mine has been an ongoing war to break holds darkness has been given a foothold to. The battle that rages in my mind is no glory statement, and it goes on to this day.
If you are young, remember that God told us how to live not so much for His satisfaction, but for our own good. He knew how our selfish foolish choices would affect us, and I know His plan for me was not to be weighted down with all this baggage, that rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times.
I know that when I see Him, I will be like Him, and that is my hope, but for now He allows the war to go on, and its a war I brought upon myself.
Thanks for sharing, anonymous. Your honesty is appreciated.
My prayer for you is that you would begin to see yourself through your Father's eyes. That you would be able to forgive yourself as God forgives and that you would walk forward as the person God has created you to be. He has plans for you and they are not screwed up because of past sins or future sins. God is sovereign. Leave all that stuff at his feet. Release it to him to discard for you. He wants to do that. His love for you has not been decreased because of poor choices. He stands before you with arms open wide wanting to embrace you right now.
If you would like prayer in person, but wish to remain anonymous here, you can email me at cycling_kim@yahoo.com and I, and Jeff, can pray with you.
(By the way, growing up in a home with loving Christian parents does not always mean that a person doesn't make poor choices and commit sins that bring with them immense consequences. I can attest to that. But God is greater than our sins and loves and forgives us in spite of them.)
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
So walk in Truth today.
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