The Shepherd

God, Guidance, Joy, Life 0

I’m back to the shepherd and the sheep.  When the sheep follow the shepherd, they find pasture.  They find life.  Life doesn’t just magically come to us.  We have to make ourselves available to it.  There is a lifestyle that allows us to receive the life of God.  I know that if I will live more intimately with Jesus and follow his voice, I will have a much better chance of finding the life I long for.  I know it.  If I will listen to his voice and let him set the pace, if I will cooperate in my transformation, I will be a much happier man.  And so a new prayer has begun to rise within me.  I am asking God, What is the life you want me to live?

— John Eldredge, Walking with God, p. 28

Do Not Lose Hope.

Core Value, God, Joy, Life, Trials 0

“When all of this comes to pass, My word to you is this:  Do not lose hope.  A plan is unfolding that you cannot clearly see.  If you could see it as I do, you would still hurt, but you would not lose hope.  You would gladly remain faithful to Me in the middle of the worst suffering.  I guarantee you the power to please Me, not to have a good time.  But pleasing Me will bring you great joy.

“In the deepest part of your soul, you long more than anything else to be a part of My plan, to further My kingdom, to know Me and please Me and enjoy Me.  I will satisfy that longing.  You have the power to represent Me well no matter what happens in your life.  That is the hope I give  you in this world.  Don’t lose it.”

— Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams:  God’s Unexpected Pathway to Joy, p. 46

What God Is Up To

God, Guidance, Life 0

Jesus says that as our Good Shepherd, he is leading us.  What an encouraging thought.  Jesus is leading you, and he is leading me.  He is shepherding us.  I can feel something in my heart loosening even now as I consider this.  Okay, I don’t have to make life happen on my own.  Now, if Christ takes it upon himself to lead, then our part is to follow.  And you’ll find that it helps a great deal in your following if you know what God is up to. . . .

Whatever else is going on, we can know this:  God is always up to our transformation. . . .

God has something in mind.  He is deeply and personally committed to restoring humanity.  Restoring you.  He had a specific man or woman in mind when he made you.  By bringing you back to himself through the work of Jesus Christ, he has established relationship with you.  And now, what he is up to is restoring you. . . .

Oh, the joy, the utter relief it would be to be transformed.  That in itself would be more happiness than most of us ever experience.  And — as if that were not enough — it would free us to live the life God has for us to live.

My friends, this is what God’s up to.  This is where our Shepherd is headed.  Whatever else is going on in our lives, this is going on.  He is committed to our transformation.  So, if this is what God’s up to, wouldn’t it make sense that we be more intentional in partnering with him in our transformation?

— John Eldredge, Walking with God, p. 19-21

All About Life

Life 0

Life.  Life.  Life.  It is all about life; imperishable, unceasing zoë.

But we must seek this life out, pursue it, turn into it because there is also a principle of death within us, stemming from the fall.  Therefore, we must be constantly saying “yes” to life and “no” to death.  We must always be discerning life-giving actions and attitudes from those that are death-giving.  This is why the Bible is such a help to us; it is regularly fleshing these things out in the rough-and-tumble of real-life situations.  Scripture makes clear to us precisely how this “with God” life works in all the circumstances of human existence, both for individuals and for groups, both in specific historical periods and throughout all times.

— Richard J. Foster, Life with God, p. x

More Is on the Way

Healing, Letting Go, Life, Love 0

Surrender to the pain.  Then learn to surrender to the good.  It’s there and more is on the way.  Love God.  Love Family.  Love what you do.  Love people, and learn to let them love you.  And always keep on loving yourself.

No matter how good it gets, the best is yet to come.

— Melody Beattie, Beyond Codependency:  And Getting Better All the Time, p. 245

Our Purpose

God, Life 0

Intimacy with God is the purpose of our lives.  It’s why God created us.  Not simply to believe in him, though that is a good beginning.  Not only to obey him, though that is a higher life still.  God created us for intimate fellowship with himself, and in doing so he established the goal of our existence — to know him, love him, and live our lives in an intimate relationship with him.  Jesus says that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3).  Not just “know about” like you know about the ozone layer or Ulysses S. Grant.  He means know as two people know each other, know as Jesus knows the Father — intimately.

— John Eldredge, Walking with God, p. 12

Promised Power

God, Life, Obedience 0

It was the Place of Hope.  It was the place where, after His resurrection and just before His ascension, He would speak to His disciples one last time.  On that occasion, with the authority of a man who had just conquered death, Jesus would say, “Soon you will receive power, power to be My witnesses.”

He would promise them not the power to avoid trouble, but the power to live the only life worth living.  He would promise them the same power that was keeping Him on course while His own worst nightmare came true.  He knew these words would strike a chord, that they would thrill His disciples and fill them with hope.

“Soon you will have that power,” Jesus would say.  “You will be able to remain faithful to Me no matter what happens in your life.  If your spouse leaves you, you will be empowered to reveal My character.  If your son is in jail, you will be able to go on loving him.  That is your hope till I return.  Never lose it!”

— Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams:  God’s Unexpected Pathway to Joy, p. 42

Forward on our Journey

Letting Go, Life 0

Wouldn’t it be easier to skip this whole business?  If we can’t hang on to our desires, wouldn’t it be simpler not to acknowledge them in the first place?

Probably.  But it doesn’t work that way.  There’s something magical and necessary about the process, the way it stands.  The victory, joy, and growth aren’t achieved by avoiding.  The rewards come by overcoming.  Each time we surrender, each time we let go, we’ll be propelled forward on our journey.  We’ll be moved to a deeper level of play.

— Melody Beattie, Beyond Codependency, p. 243-244

A Conversational Walk with God

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I’ll tip my hand to one assumption I am making.  I assume that an intimate, conversational walk with God is available, and is meant to be normal.  I’ll push that a step further.  I assume that if you don’t find that kind of relationship with God, your spiritual life will be stunted.  And that will handicap the rest of your life.  We can’t find life without God, and we can’t find God if we don’t know how to walk intimately with him.

— John Eldredge, Walking with God, p. 7

Something Better Is Brewing.

Letting Go, Life, Obedience, Trust 0

This is at least some of what it means to “wait on the Lord.”  Waiting on God does not mean passive indifference — hanging around and doing nothing.  It has more to do with saying no to impulsive, spur-of-the-moment actions or decisions, and by so doing, saying yes to something you know will satisfy much better down the line.  Those who have not yet learned how to wait on the Lord may tend to indulge in something immediate that only half satisfies.  But Christians who have fostered a degree of self-control — Christians who know God better — don’t mind putting pleasure on hold.  They know something better is brewing down the line.

— Joni Eareckson Tada, Pearls of Great Price, May 2 entry