Here we go again! (Part 1)

"If You wanna steal my show, I'll sit back and watch You go
If You got somethin' to say, go on and take it away
Need You to steal my show, can't wait to watch You go
So take it away

No matter who we are, no matter what we do
Every day we can choose to say ...

My life
My friends
My heart
It's all Yours, God
Take it away
My dreams
My fears
My family
My career
Take it away
Take it away
It's all Yours, God
Take it away
Take it away
It's You I wanna live for"

--Toby Mac "Steal My Show"


Some people say the 3rd time's the charm. Well, for the Millers, the 3rd time will just be icing on the cake. What am I talking about? Well, it goes back to January when I started a book study online--the book was Knowing God

In this book, the author J. I. Packer, made some pretty outrageous statements about God and His followers. One of these comments really struck home for me. He wrote, about so many Christians today: "Nor is it the spirit of those Christians--alas, they are many--whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home, and making nice middle-class Christian friends, and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways, and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian, to get on by themselves" (63). I wrote in my book, next to this statement, "Oh Lord! Am I doing this??"

Packer further wrote, "Well, look at the churches. Observe the shortage of ministers and missionaries, especially men; the luxury goods in Christian homes; the fund-raising problems of Christian societies; the readiness of Christians in all walks of life to grumble about their salaries; the lack of concern for the old and lonely and for anyone outside the circle of 'sound believers'" (269).  Christians--I--should be willing to travel light through this life, "willing, as Christ directs, to do what the rich young ruler refused to do: give up material wealth and the security it provides and live in a way that involves [me] in poverty and loss of possessions. Having [my] treasure in heaven, [I am] not to budget for treasure on earth, nor for a high standard of living--[I] may well be required to forego both. [I am] called to follow Christ, carrying [my] cross" (268). 

Packer says "...your eyes must be open to see others' needs, both spiritual and material; your heart must be ready to care for needy souls when you find them; your mind must be alert to plan out the best way to help them; and your will must be set against the trick that we are all so good at--'passing the buck,' going by on the other side and contracting out of situations of need where sacrificial help is called for" (269). 

Finally, Packer asked this question, and I felt it was aimed DIRECTLY at me: "Have you been holding back from a risky, costly course to which you know in your heart God has called you?" (271). I immediately felt my heart say, "Yes, Lord. I have been holding back." And I knew right then and there that I did not want to hold back any longer. I wanted to spend and be spent for God. I didn't want to live my "comfortable" life any longer. Like the lyrics above, I said--"Lord, take it away. It's YOU I want to live for!"

Packer wrote, "Your God is faithful to you, and he is adequate for you. You will never need more than he can supply, and what he supplies, both materially and spiritually, will always be enough for the present" (271).

Okay, God, I'm convinced. Let's go!!
Now, to convince my husband...

Comments

Vicky said…
I assume God convinced your husband!
Pastor Dave said…
Amy, Thank's for being so transparent and sharing. It's great to see God working in our lives. BTW -- One of my all time favorite books, first read it in the 1980's.

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