Faith that makes a difference
I am rereading “Irresistible Revolution” twice; aloud to my boys occasionally after supper, and with my husband whenever we get time. It is continually challenging. The question I’m left with after every reading is this: Am I living like Jesus lived---following His words?
The biggest indictment in the book is that Christianity in North America today doesn’t remotely resemble the early church or the life of Christ. We are so wealthy. We have little or no direct contact with the poor, the hungry, the prisoner, and the people on the edges of society. We give our money, at least the money we think we can spare while still hanging on to our lifestyles. We can feel good without getting our hands dirty or our lives complicated.
So I read this book and I evaluate my life.
My hands are dirty and my life is complicated by our decision to foster parent/adopt children who had lived through abuse and neglect. There isn’t a week that goes by that I am not challenged and stretched by this commitment. But I can see the ways I am lacking, the poverty of my compassion, my self-righteousness, my shortfall of empathy.
We talked last night about the book. Can you farm and still offer all you have to God? I believe that you can, but the more possessions we have, the more tempted we are to place our security in them. If we worry about money do we pull back from opportunities to serve in order to make more money? Or can we have the freedom to serve with the trust that our needs will be met somehow? Are we willing to adjust our ideas about what we think we need?
I’m not interested in guilt based faith. I am very interested in inspiration. I am drawn to stories of those who do right regardless of the personal risk. I desire a faith that is more than a rubber stamp of approval on what I am already doing. I long for a closer relationship with Jesus, one where He smiles and says, “Hey, let’s go do this together!” and I jump at the opportunity. But maybe I already have that, or at least I’m on my way to having it.
The biggest indictment in the book is that Christianity in North America today doesn’t remotely resemble the early church or the life of Christ. We are so wealthy. We have little or no direct contact with the poor, the hungry, the prisoner, and the people on the edges of society. We give our money, at least the money we think we can spare while still hanging on to our lifestyles. We can feel good without getting our hands dirty or our lives complicated.
So I read this book and I evaluate my life.
My hands are dirty and my life is complicated by our decision to foster parent/adopt children who had lived through abuse and neglect. There isn’t a week that goes by that I am not challenged and stretched by this commitment. But I can see the ways I am lacking, the poverty of my compassion, my self-righteousness, my shortfall of empathy.
We talked last night about the book. Can you farm and still offer all you have to God? I believe that you can, but the more possessions we have, the more tempted we are to place our security in them. If we worry about money do we pull back from opportunities to serve in order to make more money? Or can we have the freedom to serve with the trust that our needs will be met somehow? Are we willing to adjust our ideas about what we think we need?
I’m not interested in guilt based faith. I am very interested in inspiration. I am drawn to stories of those who do right regardless of the personal risk. I desire a faith that is more than a rubber stamp of approval on what I am already doing. I long for a closer relationship with Jesus, one where He smiles and says, “Hey, let’s go do this together!” and I jump at the opportunity. But maybe I already have that, or at least I’m on my way to having it.
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