Skip to main content

What You Do Not Know

                 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

 

                This passage came up as the verse of the day on Biblegateway.com, so we’re taking a detour to consider it because it’s a favorite for many. Sadly, it may be a favored verse because God seems to offer His services as a fortune teller. Step into His tent, have a seat and let Him read your palm or peer into His crystal ball and tell you … the winning Lotto numbers… the identity of the person who will marry you… the location of something you lost… that you’re going to meet someone who will give you the keys to  your success, after you walk away from someone else who is holding you back…

                And sometimes, God does some of those. But more often, He doesn’t see  us as filling Jeremiah’s shoes, and there’s no reason for Him to speak to us about what is going to happen in the future. What we need more than that is for Him to speak to us about ourselves, in our present. More often, what Father waits to tell us when we ask is how to be a better child and co-heir. I’m reading a book called Perfectly Yourself by Matthew Kelly. The focus is on developing character. John Ortberg’s teaching series is about character and changing ourselves for the better, or worse. Mr. Ortberg agrees with C.S. Lewis that we are always becoming either wonderfully good or something that belongs in our worst nightmares.

                It all comes down to character, which is not so much “who you are when no one is looking,” as Bill Hybels’ book suggests, but who you are when you’re not looking. Don’t misunderstand – Bill Hybel’s book is good. I just think there’s a step beyond what the title of his book suggests.

                There are so many ways to do this. Is there some virtue you think you need? Is there some vice you want to get rid of? I’ve started talking to God about love because that’s the greatest commandment. I ask Him to help me love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love my neighbors as myself. Then I ask Him to teach me to love myself as I should love my neighbors because too often, my self-love is more petting the ego than it is loving myself.

                No matter what virtue you want to build into your character, or which vice you want to remove, it’s going to involve changing your habits. As an example, one of the best things I did to curb my frustration while driving is listening to books on CD. If I’m listening to a story, it doesn’t matter so much that “that idiot” in front of me isn’t doing zero to thirty-five in 2 seconds. So I have gotten out of the habit of gnashing my teeth at him. It doesn’t keep me from getting irritated with “that idiot” who did such a bad job of writing a scene, but that doesn’t happen too often.

              This brings up a practical point. If you decide to get rid of a vice, pick a corresponding virtue with which to replace it. Then the focus isn’t on “don’t” but on “do instead.” And ask the Father to tell you what  you do not know that will help you with it.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more