I just spent about an hour reading quotes from famous believers throughout history (I was looking for one quote in particular and ended up on rabbit trails... funny how that works, isn't it?), and there are quite a number of them that caught my attention. I'll stick with one that follows the theme of winter camp for now, though.
"It is folly to conclude that a thing ought not to be done because it hurts. There are powers to be born, creations to be perfected, sinners to be redeemed all through the ministry of pain, that could be born, perfected and redeemed in no other way. "
-George MacDonald
We're reading the book Do Hard Things, challenging the kids to do hard things, praying that lives would be changed and people would be formed who would make a lifestyle of doing hard things, and we can't emphasize it enough. Will we take the easy road and miss so much birth, so much of the process of perfection, so much redemption that could be had if we would just fix our eyes on the cross and push forward along the narrow path?
Showing posts with label winter camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter camp. Show all posts
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Power
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4
In this season of ambitious resolutions, how is that for a promise? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us..." I came across this passage this week, and it struck me as so powerful in light of the lessons on 2 Timothy 2:22 from winter camp last week. As we flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, we are not alone and destined to fail at these pursuits as at so many resolutions. We are called (by the compound glory and goodness of God), and He also provides with everything we need for life and godliness, with great and precious promises of freedom from everything that holds us back from Him. Hallelujah!
In this season of ambitious resolutions, how is that for a promise? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us..." I came across this passage this week, and it struck me as so powerful in light of the lessons on 2 Timothy 2:22 from winter camp last week. As we flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, we are not alone and destined to fail at these pursuits as at so many resolutions. We are called (by the compound glory and goodness of God), and He also provides with everything we need for life and godliness, with great and precious promises of freedom from everything that holds us back from Him. Hallelujah!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Going after it
I was blessed this week to be a part of putting on a winter camp for high school students. The theme was "The Pursuit," based on 2 Timothy 2:22-- "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." I also recently read most of Alex and Brett Harris' book Do Hard Things (which I definitely recommend). The result of these things, and of spending time around a good number of people who are living lives in full pursuit of God, was a hard look at my own life.
What am I doing? Where am I going? In a session with all the girls at the camp, a major point of emphasis was the idea of trajectory. The path you're on leads to where you're going. The person you are becoming is the person you will be. The patterns you develop now are the habits you will either thank God for or have to break later. It starts now-- it has already started-- and it's going to go quicker than you realize.
The result of looking at my life was this: I came to the conclusion that I am doing "fine." And I came to the conclusion that I do not want to be doing "fine." I am not way off the path of righteousness, beating around in the bushes somewhere, entangled in sin and unable to see the light. I praise God for that, because I have spent some time in the bushes and have come out by His faithfulness alone. But if I am on the path, I am barely moving. I am in the Word, but is it really illuminating every step? I am praying, but is the Spirit of God speaking into the deepest parts of my soul? I am in fellowship with other believers, but are we encouraging each other to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us? Not really.
But I want to.
If Jesus is everything that I say He is, everything I proclaim Him to be through the course of my days, my life needs to be adjusted accordingly. He is the only goal worth pursuing for a lifetime, and I'm a quarter of the way through this lifetime already. It's time to go after it, to stop ambling along and begin to run again.
I hope I am not alone in this. I hope I am not the only person who came out of winter camp with this determination. I am writing in this blog again in order to encourage and challenge the young men and women that came to camp this week, and I am writing in order that you, by reading what I write, can hold me accountable to seeking truth from the Word of God. Let us run the race together, friends, and keep our eyes on the prize that is worth a thousand lifetimes!
What am I doing? Where am I going? In a session with all the girls at the camp, a major point of emphasis was the idea of trajectory. The path you're on leads to where you're going. The person you are becoming is the person you will be. The patterns you develop now are the habits you will either thank God for or have to break later. It starts now-- it has already started-- and it's going to go quicker than you realize.
The result of looking at my life was this: I came to the conclusion that I am doing "fine." And I came to the conclusion that I do not want to be doing "fine." I am not way off the path of righteousness, beating around in the bushes somewhere, entangled in sin and unable to see the light. I praise God for that, because I have spent some time in the bushes and have come out by His faithfulness alone. But if I am on the path, I am barely moving. I am in the Word, but is it really illuminating every step? I am praying, but is the Spirit of God speaking into the deepest parts of my soul? I am in fellowship with other believers, but are we encouraging each other to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us? Not really.
But I want to.
If Jesus is everything that I say He is, everything I proclaim Him to be through the course of my days, my life needs to be adjusted accordingly. He is the only goal worth pursuing for a lifetime, and I'm a quarter of the way through this lifetime already. It's time to go after it, to stop ambling along and begin to run again.
I hope I am not alone in this. I hope I am not the only person who came out of winter camp with this determination. I am writing in this blog again in order to encourage and challenge the young men and women that came to camp this week, and I am writing in order that you, by reading what I write, can hold me accountable to seeking truth from the Word of God. Let us run the race together, friends, and keep our eyes on the prize that is worth a thousand lifetimes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)