Saturday, March 26, 2011

Perseverance

Give us enough tests to make us strong;
      enough vision and endurance to follow your way;
      enough patience to persist when the going is difficult;
      enough of reality to know our weaknesses;
            and enough humility to know these gifts come from you.
Go before us to prepare the way;
      walk behind us to be our protection;
            and walk beside us to be our companion.
-Richard Langford

Heavy Heart: Seasons of Relationship

I write often. Whether I'm copying down a great quote into my quote book, trying to compose something creative, or venting a burden out in methodical thought, writing is such a core part of who I am. One thing that has struck me particularly in the last year is that burdens relieved through writing can be a helpful reminder in the next time of trial. I can unload my heart onto a piece of paper, only to have the words speak back to me in the coming months. I obviously don't post these things on my public blog in general, but in this case I will post a segment of one such writing which has been relevant over and over throughout the year so far. It was written in the middle of September 2010.
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Life certainly does come in seasons: not only the seasonal climate but the seasonal struggle of humanity. One point in particular that has been most acutely on my mind recently is that of relationship. Love, affection, devotion, compromise, and commitment all play essential roles in the health of any relationship. These relational components, however, are hard to grasp and even harder to maintain because participants in human relationship are fallible.

As I learn and grow, I see more poignantly the reality of relationship; the day-to-day trudging through hurt, frustration, bitterness, regret, and guilt. The absolute vulnerability that comes with giving away one’s fragile heart and the shattering that can result.

Perhaps it is just the age and stage of my peer group, but whatever the cause, hearts are breaking, lives are changing, and reality is setting in. Innocence and naivety are now no longer reasonable claims as cause of downfall. Most people my age are embarking on adult life with open eyes and guarded hearts. The first experiences of deep hurt have stung and scarred the previously unblemished heart.

It is only the true and unwavering love of a pure and perfect Christ that can redeem and piece together the fragments of the human heart! Lean in to His embrace.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Rob Bell - A Conversation

In light of the controversy which surrounds Rob Bell and the issues of his theology which emphasises only one attribute of God above all other attributes, here is a dialogue worth watching:

(Click here, because the video won't embed properly.) :-/

And a couple great blog posts by:
Albert Mohler and Michael Krahn

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

In this Present Darkness {Burdened}

I’ve started writing this blog about 30 times, and have yet to come up with the best way to introduce such a heavy topic. Partly because I don’t think I’ll be able to do it justice, and partly because I don’t want to leave out anything important. Another factor in my hesitation is simply that I hate disagreeing with people. It causes me to feel nauseated and slightly lightheaded. On that note, I will embark on this journey of thought, and hopefully leave a crumb trail thick enough for a reader to follow.

All but one of my classes are in the field of political science. While most of these classes don’t dig fully into current political arguments, our discussions do hover right over the precipices of the disagreements which cause a great deal of dissention in our nation {in regard to both domestic and international policy}. With this type of dialogue consistently on my radar screen, I feel as though I’ve been able to put more educated thought into the organization of government and how I think and feel about it. {*Disclaimer* I am not about to launch into a rant of amateur political jargon here, I’m just presenting some of the foundation for my thoughts.}

While I do mostly identify with one theory of political thought, I identify first and foremost with my Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ. I enjoy reading of, learning of, and realizing His attributes and the ways in which I might live my life as an imperfect reflection of Him. In my studies and in conversations with various people who I greatly respect I feel very strongly that we {meaning all living human beings} are alive in the last days. I understand that “no one knows when that day or hour will come-not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father {Matthew 24:36}.” But I do believe that while the day and hour escape us, the season is known. The duration of this season may extend for quite some time, but it is still a definite season. Why else would the Word of God include such a great deal of prophetic scriptures, but for us to catch a glimpse of His eternal plan? {“Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”Amos 3:7} {Isaiah 46:8-13}

Prophecy that speaks of Jesus’ first coming was hard for the people of that time to understand. Yet, those of us in this age {and all the ages since the birth of Christ} can easily see how completely God fulfilled every promise He made prior to sending His son to live on earth. In the same way, it is has been, and still is, hard to see exactly how this end will occur. But the fuzzy edges of this prophecy jig-saw-puzzle are becoming clearer all the time.

To bring this full circle, I included politics into the first section of this blog to explain the way I am seeing the world from a perspective that is new to me. While I’ve always enjoyed digging into theology, I haven’t always seen a connection between the global political structure and prophetic theology. With recent political upheaval in Northern Africa and the Middle East, the dependently suffering international economy, the devastation of natural disasters, the persecution of Christians, and the ever increasing population of religions contrary to Christianity, I find that there is hardly a doubt that this is the season of the end of the age.

With that, my first instinct is to fear and my human nature thinks “But GOD, I am still so young and I want so badly to live a life worthy of You!” {My human nature also thinks even more selfish and petty things like “will the end come before I’ve ever experienced true romantic love with the right man?” *hopeless/full romantics can bring such a thought into any deep theological and political conversation*} But after this flash of fear and selfishness, I am repeatedly soothed by the deep peace and love for Christ that radiates from my core. With the unimaginable felicity found in eternity, nothing on Earth could be worth any measure of fear and self-seeking pleasure.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. {John 14:6}’”