In the blanks below write the two most significant statements in today’s reading assignment. Be prepared to discuss why the statements you chose were significant to you.
“In fact, you may experience a great deal of frustration that the kind of relationship with him that you desire seems so elusive – I do feel like I want to see and hear Jesus physically – I yearn for that.
“God takes our double mindedness very seriously. He likens Himself to a spouse with an unfaithful partner and likens the believers whose first love is not for Christ to the spouse having an illicit sexual affair – Ouch!”
Philippians 2: 13 says, ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.’ What ‘working in you’ do you sense God is doing in your life at this time? For example, is He placing in you spiritual desires, or is He giving you power to do something you previously didn’t think you could do? Where is God at work in your life?
“It comes and goes, (probably as I let it,) I feel there was a lot in July and August. Lately it’s mostly just weekly serving in church and with a friend or two.”
The text says that apathy toward God is the result of being passionate towards something or someone else. What desires in your life tend to overshadow and quench your desire for a relationship with God?
“fun, pleasure, and satisfying of OCD tendencies through games and quest completing and TV watching.”
Finish this statement from the text: Any attempt to solve the problems of life apart from a “dependent” relationship with God is both “arrogant” and, in the long run, “ineffective”. Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, mildly disagree, or strongly disagree with this statement? “I strongly agree.” Explain your answer. “– at least in my head when I consider it consciously. My behavior would suggest that I might just mildly disagree.”
Dearest Rachel –
I’ll share with you a little bit of ‘inside baseball’ about this web hosting site, honey; in order to classify these letters a little (and those that use this and similar sites will know about this as well), I have a number of categories and keywords that are associated with each letter. The most prominent keywords show up at the bottom of the main pages for the blog itself, but even while I’m putting together a letter, there’s a helpful list of the top ten keywords for me to apply to the one I’m working on as well.
Jesus said that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Of course, one’s ‘treasure’ doesn’t have to be just literal money (although there’s no question that it’s a very good indication). It can just as easily be how much time one spends on a thing, or the amount of attention given to it. In that way, that list of my most often-used keywords are an indication of where my heart is. It’s embarrassing to realize that, apart from the keyword representing these Sunday notes of yours, I don’t have a lot in the way of ‘God’ or ‘faith’ or ‘love’ in that collection. Things like ‘travel,’ ‘daily life,’ ‘dreams’ and ‘memory’ appear frequently, crowding out more virtuous possibilities.
What does that say about me, honey? Am I devoting too much time to things that aren’t really important, in the grand scheme of things? Am I like the unfaithful spouse that the Bible describes, who pays more attention to diversions other than their Ephesian “first love”? I’d like to think not – if one’s devotion were measured, say, by the time one spends on a thing, then literally every human’s true devotion is dedicated to sleep, as it occupies about a third of one’s life (less for yourself, but not really by that much), but that’s an absurd measurement.
At the same time, for all that I put in waking hours in His service, I won’t argue with you that there are times when it can be perfunctory. Still, there are times when one must serve even when – perhaps especially when – one doesn’t “feel like it.” Better to be the child that does what he says he won’t do than the one who promises but doesn’t deliver. I realize that, when lacking passion, one’s actions don’t please God the way a cheerful participant’s actions would, but the willingness to keep one’s promises to God ought to count for something as far as that goes; it’s no different than exercising when I’m not motivated, but it still burns calories
I don’t know how to turn that motivation around, whether for earthly or heavenly purposes, honey. All I can think to do is to power through, and hope that “faking it” when I’m not in a proper mood ultimately helps me “make it” in the end.
Meanwhile – unless you’re currently “asleep in Christ” until His return, and even then, you’d presumably be loosed from the bounds of time as we know it and be able to be concurrent with our present as we see it here if you should so choose – you’ve gotten your wish to see and be in the presence of Jesus, and those questions have since been answered for you. It’s a shame you can relay them back down to us to strengthen our faith – or would it abolish it?
In any event, honey, if you can, I’d appreciate your eye upon us, and your best wishes for the day. We’re going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 