Donald Miller is the only current pop Christian writer who I still like and would recommend. This excerpt from his book, Searching for God Knows What provides insight into the humanness of apostle Paul that I never would have seen (but man, I wish I did. Then I would be rich and famous and popular among the trendy Christian community. One day...).
If you don't have the time or energy to read the whole thing, read these:
"For the first couple of days in a new town, Paul probably felt completely alone. I see him like this when he talks about how he wants to go home and be in heaven but stays on earth so he can write letters and preach. I see him writing by candlelight at a stranger’s table when he talks about how he has this thorn in his flesh and can’t get over it and prayed about it three times, but God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
... the guy was passionate, like he actually believed this stuff was true, always going off about heaven and hell because he knew life has extremes. One minute he talked about how disgusting sin is and how it hurts God in His heart, and the next minute he said he would go to hell for people if he could, how he would die for them and go to hell if they would just trust Christ. It’s really hard to read that stuff because it gets you feeling guilty about not loving people very much, and then you feel very thankful for people like Paul because it means that if a person knows Christ, they become the sort of man who says difficult truths with his mouth and yet feels things with his heart that make him want to go around and die for people. It’s quite beautiful, really."
4 comments:
I really like this. It makes me want to go back and read the rest of the book.
I have it if you want to read it.
Part I
Reading this post reminded me of what I've been pondering and have discussed lately.
Paul was different because he reflected Christ.The love which he expressed was a reflection of Christ's love that was freely given to him. And although that love was freely given it was not without cost. It is the very nature of Christ that our lives are to reflect: His love, His compassion, His virtue. It is by these things that we are to be noticed as "different" and "attractive" to others.
People were attracted to Jesus because He was different, not in how He looked or in any manner of flamboyance in the way He acted, but in the God that was showing. His appearance drew no special attention but the true love, compassion, and truth that His life displayed in His manner of speaking, in the words that He spoke, in the places He went, the way He simply lived spoke volumes to the people around Him. To some it brought conviction leading to repentance and forgiveness and for some it became a stumbling block and they turned away or worse, sought to kill Him.
It seems so often that we strive to differentiate or draw attention to ourselves or stand out from the crowd by how we dress, or how we cut or color our hair, or with makeup, or nail polish, or jewelry, or piercings, or tattoos, or even in how we might act whether so called circumspectly or flamboyantly but these are not the earmarks of a Christ follower, of one infused with the Spirit of God. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control" all which we see in Christ Jesus the very reflection of God the Father.
(continued in Part II)
Part II
The question is do people see God for who He really is in me and in you. Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song many years ago in which I feel he captured the essence of this. the song is called "For Who He Really Is" and here are the lyrics:
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"Too many hypocrites" I heard her say I even saw it in the headlines today How can I follow God when His own people turn away"
Nobody’s perfect but I just want to see Somebody living, what they say they believe They’ve got all this world needs like they say I wonder why won’t they give some away
Can she see God for who He really is In what she sees in you and me, hey Can she see God for who He really is For who He really is, is all she really needs to see
He slips into church and he puts up his guard They look so happy but his life’s been so hard He keeps his distance so they won’t see the scars
It’s just religion that’s all dressed up in white And God is love as long as you’re living right But does he know that Jesus also has scars And His love can reach Him no matter how far
Can he see God for who He really is In what he sees in you and me, hey Can he see God for who He really is For who He really is, is all he really needs to see Is all he really needs to see
The skeptics are watching to see who will fall While those disillusioned search for the truth in it all Maybe today we’ll cross their paths unaware And they’ll stop and look at us, what will be there?
Will they see God for who He really is In what they sees in you and me, hey Can they see God for who He really is For who He really is, is all they really needs to see
Can they see God for who He really is
They really need to see, who He really is
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It isn't the times I may try to be more loving, or kind, or patient because that's just me trying to be better. It is the times that when without a second thought, without a hesitation I respond with kindness, or lovingly respond to someone's need, or have had patience, or experienced a profound peace in spite of circumstances, that I see the Spirit of God working in me.
I can try all I want to to act more lovingly, or kindly, or have patience but that is not the true evidence of the Spirit's working in my life. It is by seeking first God's kingdom and His righteousness and then He fills me with His Spirit and the evidence of the inward change is the outward fruit of His Holy Spirit. When that happens one cannot help but manifest the fruit of the Spirit which is what should be what makes Christ followers stand out and be different. I know I've rambled a bit and I stand convicted in my own life of these very things, wondering whether others really see Christ in me. It is my prayer that I would truly reflect Christ and His nature to those who I encounter each day and ask forgiveness for the times, more often than not, that I don't.
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