Thursday, April 02, 2009

Is my 'Christianity' really worth it?

Just finished reading two posts this morning by
- Seth Godin
- Chris Maddox

Putting them together has me wondering this:

is there anything about God Himself

or what He has done in/to/through me (Chris' blog)

that is powerful enough for at least ten people (Seth's blog) I know

to uncontrollably want Jesus as King of their lives?

4 comments:

JTHardcastle said...

Yes.....at least one! Without a doubt, there is no one from my youth that influenced me more in my view of Christ than you. I pull from, remember, and use, the discernment and wisdom you poured out to us all the time. It's cool to see the ripples of God's work through you continue throughout my lifetime. Maybe the 10 only takes the one, since it's all up to God anyways? Thanks again Dave!

Vince D. said...

Your conviction helped me...I think your conviction in your pursuit of God is what God used in my life to impact me. I thank God for that. Happy Easter Man!

Just a thought....(I read Seth's blog) I love the spirit behind wanting people to move toward Jesus because of us, but I think this leads us to believe that we have more to do with people coming to the Lord than we should...Noah had 120 years of preaching and noone outside his family heard. Jonah had what many Americans would call a blessed ministry, but he was not the model we "should" follow. So The Message is THE MESSAGE. We are to bear witness with God's Spirit and let Him work. It is God who draws, not me or you or any man.

David Malouf -- said...

Vince - I appreciate your journey into finding God in a way that is not contingent upon us and/or our (re)actions to Him!

The approach you comment about seems to be more God-as-sovereign alone and leaves out His method (plan) that does include us. A parallel example to this post would be the request-type prayer: as if God needs me to pray! yet He has organized life so that my asking does or does not draw Him to move.

Knowing full well that asking does not mean I get what I'm asking for and that there is a HUGE part of my growth that comes from this.

Yet I am forced to ask and my withholding, as such, stops God. Sometimes.


So on the human side of it all, is the message as explained by either my words or my life, compelling or have I diminished the value of the Kingship of Jesus to the point that it is no longer a spotlight of hope but instead a lame night-light to pacify small fears?

Vince D. said...

Dave- Thanks again fo rthe insight. Yes I am trying to exercise changing my perspective. I am tired of the human centered teaching. Which to some might seem strange, but many will be led astray in the end times by teaching that sounds appealing to their ears. And I for one have been guilty to listening to folks that appealled to some sense of justice, reason, or emotion I have been feeling.

And so in that light it is difficult to see where I begin and God ends in my brain, to focus on where I impact the world for him. I end up tipping over back into "Me" centeredness. I hope that growing in my faith in Him will glow brighter everyday. Once again the Romans do-do chapter hits me in the face.