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

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more