| | HAPPY NEW YEAR!
wow, i can't believe how quickly 2006 came and went. it is obviously a sign that i am getting old. can you believe last year at this time, i was just starting my application for OMF? and now, a year later, i'm already here out in the field. man, God works in funny ways. i'd never thought that a year later, i'd be out here in taiwan, halfway across the world from everyone i love, doing God's work. i tell ya, only God is capable of making all this happen.
anyway, if you want to see my post about things i did for new years, you'll have to go to my OTHER XANGA. otherwise, you can bore yourself with what i'm saying next. HAHAHAA.
I DONT" LIKE READING, BUT I READ THIS BOOK
i finished reading this book: Plastic Jesus: Exposing the Hollowness of Comfortable Christianity, by Eric Sandras, Phd. (do people with PhD's always have to say that they have one?
anyway, i really enjoyed this book. it was an easy read, but also very challenging. even though i'm already out in the missions field, and out of my christian "suburbia", it's still easy to live back in it because of how materialistic people are here. anyway, here are some good things i've learned from the book that i found challenging for myself, and hopefully for you too:
1. "Calling" is something that comes from within us. we're exposed to our God-given calling, whether it comes int eh form of a sound, a character in a movie or book, or an opportunity (such as missions). we are living our mundane lives, focused on our own little worlds, and then suddenly something inside us leaps and yells, "Hello!" but if we're not careful, our other responsibilities can disconnect that call and force us back to living life the way we have always lived it. don't settle for spiritual suburbia!!
2. When we follow God's calling, all the pieces come together to reveal the glory and purpose of God in our lives. Sometimes we're anointed for a season, sometimes for a lifetime. but when that happens, the comfort and predictability of redundancy give way to the adventure and passion of intentionality.
**the distraction of "pretending" with Jesus - can you identify?? have you been busy pretending to believe? keeping yourself looking good with spiritual actyivities - teaching bible studies, going to prayer meetings, attending spiritual retreats, working in the homeless shelter - because you are afraid that once you stop doing that, DOUBT will stalk you? if so, something in your spirit is likely whispering that just pretending won't support the weight of your REAL life. now, don't go abandoning all those activities, just yet. it may not be the activity that is the culprit, but you. you may be losing your true friendship with Jesus in the midst of acting like you have a better one than you do. Jesus doesn't want to be our imaginary friend. he wants our faith in him to actually bear the weight of our lives.
3. In regards to brokenness and missions/ministry: we often think that God's goodness is best reflected in the polished parts of my life - that we have to be the perfect christian first. that's the way it is in suburbia. when we drive down the street, we notice our neighbor's freshly waxed BMW or the newly painted picket fence. we don't go looking in their garbage or slither through the crawl space under their houses. but God wants to bring light to our darkness, to recycle our garbae, and clean out our crawl spaces. He doesn't want to admire a good car wax job, but to heal our rust spots. in God's economy, broken things actually have great value.
4. life works better when you have a vision and purpose. don't get stuck in the monotony of spiritual suburbia. it's like allowing yourself to be content with a mcdonald's happy meal spiritual prize instead of the crown God offers. experience the love and relationship that God has for you, even if the adventture takes you into the uncharted territory of your brokenness.
i've really enjoyed reading this book because it's truly helped me affirm my coming to Taiwan. as much as i was excited, i still kept thinking to myself, "i can still live in the states and do missions or do ministry.." but knowing that i'm stepping out of my comfort zone and allowing God to use the parts of me that were broken to reach out to people i share a culture with is not only challenging, but just as exciting. not to say that everyone who's not out in the mission field is living in "spiritual suburbia", but it's true that the risks are greater. i know i was like that at many points in my life when i was serving in the church and attending all the christian events.
so my point is not to say that i think you're living in that "spiritual suburbia", but to challenge YOU to step out and respond to a calling that perhaps you've ignored because of wanting to living comfortably or live according to what you're familiar with. it may not be missions, it might be something else...but don't ignore it!
alright, end of schpiel. hehehe. if you're read this far, kudos to you. if not, well, you probably won't be reading this sentence. :)
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| | Posted 1/3/2007 2:20 AM - 8 views - 4 comments
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