A New Direction

There are two quick bits I wanted to share, both hit very close to home:

The first is Romans 7, verses 18, 21 & 25.

   "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."

Nothing.  Nada.  Zippo.

   "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand."

Rarely does Paul ever come out and say, "This is an observation from my walk with Christ," probably because we all have many different experiences.  Yet he clearly affirms that evil is right behind the good we want to do.

   "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself serve the law
   of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."

To set the mind of the flesh is death, but to set the mind of the Spirit is life and peace - Romans 8:6.  What I continually choose to fill my mind with will either bring death to my soul or will renew me day by day.

The second thing I wanted to share was an article written by Matt Chanlder, fellow blogger on TheResurgence.com.  The title is Alpha Males and the Messiah Complex.  If you are a man who has become an adult in the past quarter century, I think this article is relevant to you, especially if you are ambitious or considering ministry as a vocation.  I've read this article a few times to help humble my "Messiah Complex."

O that Jesus, the Son of God would be lifted up and that I would be brought low.

Still striving,
Lane

I didn't expect many responses to my last blog entry.  It's pretty "radical" to consider the implications of Jesus' command to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.  And it's so against every grain of the culture we are immersed in.  I have found that most people back away from "issues" like these. 

But I've also noticed this trend that rarely does anyone comment on my blog entries, except a special someone for whom I am very grateful.  Now I know there are people who view the blog because there is a tracker that counts the number of pageviews each day.  Just a few days short of a year ago I created this blog with the hope that God might use my faith to bear fruit in others' lives, and I really have no clue if that is happening.  So this is an invitation, an invitation to comment, to probe, to rebuke, to encourage, to criticize, to share... to be a part of this blog.  I hope you feel welcome to, and if you haven't yet, I hope you can receive this invitation.

For one result,
Lane

So I know I'm not in God's will.  Why?  Because I just spent a ton of time surfing the web for things that serve my kingdom and not God's.  Last night I read it before bed:

   "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 
      and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

This is a command that directs all daily affairs.  "These things" are our food, water, and clothing.  But we seek not just to have these, not just to have them in abundance, but to hoard them in such a way that they bring overwhelming pleasure and luxury to our everyday lives.  I do this.  I follow the way of the world in building my kingdom of delicious food, satisfying drink, and comfortable fashion.  This is my sin.  And while I want to care, I don't.  I am just fine here.  I am very comfortable.  And I'm not concerned in the least bit with those who aren't.  I don't interact with them, nor do I even see them.  I even call them "them."

Lord, save me from my American life.

-This was today's journal entry.

Ashamed,
Lane

Can you believe that just two weeks ago I figured out that I had been tying knots the wrong way all my life?  Well, I suppose I can't say that it was the wrong way, but it certainly wasn't the best way.  It's hard to explain the situation because some people use the loop-and-swoop method and others the bunny ears.  Anyways, after looping I didn't switch the loops my hands were holding, which caused the pull to come from a bad angle resulting in a loose knot.  And now that I think about, Mr. Rogers always switched which loops he was holding before tightening the knot.  I should have picked up on this a long time ago.

I guess that goes to show that we can spend our whole life not doing things the best way, but still get along.  Recently, I've been asking myself an important question, one that many people ask.  It's a good question, but so often I fail to see it as a means to a much greater end.  That end in the form of a question is, "Will I worship God now?"  Like the knot I've been tying all my life, good questions are only secondary to this essential question.  Worshiping God is of first and foremost importance.  It is demanded by God Himself and He seeks out those who worship in spirit and in truth.  When I come to the end of my life and look back on all my days, the question I've been obsessing over won't matter.  What will matter is if I loved God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. 

Secondary questions are necessary, but not ultimate.  God is ultimate, so in all things my focus should be on Him.

With a new knot,
Lane