When People are Big and God is Small

I'm always humbly reminded I serve a sovereign God when things like this happen.

I was pondering over thoughts from Ed Welch's book When People are Big and God is Small, today. My fiance and I read this book at the beginning of this year, and were both thoroughly enriched by the biblical truths within its pages. It provided some convicting and lightening conversations. We learned more about our own sinful hearts, and about each other.Today, however, the extent of my thoughts would not go very far, as I seemed to get stuck somewhere in the process of sorting out the mess my head created of itself today, but I knew I was not loving God rightly, and I had a hint of a feeling that it was because I was loving people incorrectly. 

I became rather frustrated with my own inability to sort out what I was thinking and feeling, so I turned to my iTunes library for some sermons resources. Sadly, it's very small, and none of the Keller sermons were what I was looking for, as great as they may have been. Normally, my next option would have been to find something online, usually at http://www.marshillchurch.org. But I wasn't looking for some urban, contextualized hype about how wretched the immorality in America is (as much as I love listening to Driscoll yell at his Seattle congregation). So, rather randomly, I went to my church's website-- something I've only done about twice (what I mean to say is I don't know why I went there) and came across this sermon. The title of it, Welch's own book title. God is good. Since Rev. Walicord expresses truthfully what I was trying to sort out in my thoughts and heart, I'll leave the rest of this post blank. Listening to this sermon would be 32 minutes well spent.

Monday, December 21, 2009 | | 2 Comments  

Redeemed for a Purpose

Forgetfulness is inherent in my nature. There are dozens upon dozens of stories of me forgetting something. Whether it was locking my keys in the car 4 times in less than a year, or even once completely forgetting to shut the car OFF before I went grocery shopping, I have stopped keeping track of my forgetfulness. One time my mom sent me into town with the express purpose of purchasing a bed rail for the then-2-year old who loved to throw herself about the bed in dangerous ways. Mom also gave another small list of household necessities. All items could be purchased at the same store, and she even had me call beforehand to make certain the rail we wanted was available. I arrived home an hour later without the bed rail. My forgetfulness cost us only an extra trip out the following day, and a sacrifice of pillows for the baby's bed that night. But it has been worse: When I forgot to open the garage door before backing our suburban out, Dad spent 2 long days, and several hundred dollars in repair... **ouch** Needless to say, I am slowly learning. And after some tears, and prayers, and complaints from family and friends (my forgetfulness quickly outgrew its "cute" stage) it is becoming difficult for me to forget to be more mindful.

But my forgetfulness was not so much a lack of memory, as it was an absence of mind. My brother liked to tease me that I was "physical here and mentally absent." As if I didn't realize who I was! Um... can I say he was often correct? I could become so absorbed in whatever was important in my thoughts at that moment, that the present soon had little consequence.

I say all this to make a point. Because, how easy is it for Christians in our inherent sinfulness to forget that we have been redeemed, purchased, saved, bought-- at a price. And that price was the blood and life of Jesus Christ.

When this is not at the forefront of our minds we forget, and we do things we would not otherwise do. We do things that do not show our minds are thinking upon the things of the Spirit.

Red Mountain Music, from Red Mountain PCA in Birmingham, AL came up with these lyrics as a timely reminder of who we are in Christ.

Come raise your thankful voice,
Ye saints redeemed with blood.
Leave earth and all its toys
And mix no more with mud.



O, goodness! Do we ever think of what it does to the name of Jesus when we mix our lives, justified and redeemed through his sacrifice, with the lowly mud of the world? The spotless robe he lays on us, we carelessly muddy because of absent-mindedness.


With heart, and soul, and mind
Exalt redeeming love.
Leave worldly cares behind,
and set your minds above.

Lift up your ravished eyes
And view the glory given.
All lower things despise
Ye citizens of heaven.


This verse pierces deeply, because it makes me think of what little regard I sometimes have for living excellently. This verse in the song reminds me of Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." I thought this verse was over-used and had become redundant until my sister told me she was talking to a Christian friend of hers, quoted the verse and had her friend look at her baffled and then ask where in the Bible that was. Are we becoming so "safe," "accepting," and "accommodating" that we no longer teach, preach and share that our Lord God is holy and righteous, and wants us to be like him? We are citizens of a heaven, with the glory of the Lord to behold- do we live to show that?


Be to this world as dead,
Alive to that to come.
Our life in Christ is his,
Who soon shall call us home.

Chorus:
Dearly we're bought,
Highly esteemed
Redeemed with Jesus' blood
Redeemed.
 

For my mom's birthday we had a girl's night out. Our grandma treated us to dinner, and then my sister, mom, grandma and I window shopped through the mall and admired pretty things. We ended the evening by seeing Julie and Julia. It was a blast. :) During the middle of our "shopping spree" we stopped at the Macy's clearance shoe selection. I set down the two dresses my sister and I had just purchases at the end of an aisle, and distracted my attention for a minute to a pair of adorable turquoise sandals. Then I saw a white pair... then a black... I really needed a black pair. Before much time had passed at all I had completely forgotten about the bag with our dresses, and was enjoying the great bargains and adorable shoes. It wasn't until my mom came up to me, grabbed my shoulder and asked where in the world I had put the dresses that my heart sank. I pointed to the end of the aisle. They weren't there. I pointed to another one, hoping my first choice had been mistaken. I quickly walked up and down everywhere, asked the cashier if anyone had turned in an Ann Taylor bag with two black dresses inside. Nothing. I finally sank into a chair beside my grandma in frustration and disappointment. (This is not the first time this has happened.) My mom, sister and grandma all looked at me with pity. "It was only for a minute! I just forgot." I cried. "Why would someone want to steal someone else's things?" My mom smiled a little, my grandmother's face was priceless, and my sister stifled giggles. Then, my mom revealed the bag, purposefully hidden from me. They had conspired to teach me a lesson. O, goodness was I a wreck. Mom handed the bag back to me, "Please, don't forget about it."

O, dear Christians! As trivial as it may seem now, we must realize, the righteousness of God is not to be taken lightly. We should not casually set it aside for things that seem to sparkle and glitter more brilliantly than it does. Heaven forbid it would take a steep backsliding-- falling deep into sin-- to realize the pricelessness of the treasure that is ours through and in Christ Jesus. We are not dearly bought to be left to fiddle ridiculously with the toys of the world. We are not highly esteemed through Jesus so that we can have freedom to live as we please, nor are we called citizens of heaven to live and accept the wickedness of a corrupt and perverse generation "in the name of Love." I am convinced God does not receive all the glory when we live as if His holiness is of no consequence to us.We were bought with a price, and we are to glorify God with our lives. Perhaps striking the balance, or finding that place that imitates Jesus,  speaks the truth in love, and still settles for nothing less than excellence is difficult. I know my life is evidence to the imperfectness of human flesh. Yet still... we are Saints redeemed. Can we remember that long enough to at least not defame the name of our Savior?


For, Dearly we're bought,
Highly esteemed.
Redeemed with Jesus' blood
Redeemed.

Monday, December 21, 2009 | | 0 Comments  

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)