Thursday, August 20, 2009

Preface: Our View of God

Crazy Love: page 20 - "I grew up beliving in God without having a clue what He is like". This statement lept off the page at me. My walk with Him began as a 12 year old girl, the only believer in my family. As I reflect on my early years as a Christian, I realize there was tremendous emphasis placed on perfecting the practices of my denominational rituals. Great efforts were made on understanding my doctrine and the ability to successfully suppport it. "If you can intellectually understand God, you can better explain Him to others" .... that was my perception. But He is not to be explained...He is to be introduced.

Now - I realize how little time I spent trying to seek the heart of my Heavenly Father.
Now - I want to share an unexplainable yet undeniable Savior.
Now - I truly want to know what He is like .....

What sentence, idea or concept of the preface (pages 19-23) stood out to you?

5 comments:

  1. Crazy Love - page 20 - "Christianity was simple: fight your desires in order to please God. Whenever I failed (which was often), I'd walk around feeling guilty and distant from God" This sentence rang so true for me. Growing up as a Christian, going to church every Sunday, being involved as much as I could...this is the belief I've grown up in. And you know what? Some how I'm beginning to sense that, that is NOT the way God wants it. I'll be interested to see what God has to teach me.

    :) Patricia Borchardt

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  2. Patricia, I had that sentence underlined too! Why has "man" defined religious success by limitations when in fact we serve a limitless God!

    Right on that path with ya sister!

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  3. The core problem...Page 22 - 2nd paragraph: Our "innaccurate view of God" answers "why we are this way" ("lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians"). I don't want to be lukewarm! I want to be burning HOT on fire for God! "God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He's great and deserves to be the center of our lives." He wants everything from me, not just some of my time, my money, my talent! My only purpose is to bring glory to His name. How easy it is to forget!

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  4. Following off of Daddy's Girl, she mentioned this line from page 22, "innaccurate view of God" answers "why we are this way" ("lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians"), which makes me want to whole-heartedly be on fire for God.

    It is like one of Kevin's messages I have heard. Your walk with Christ is like a fence. There are two sides, good and bad. You can walk on the good side, or you can walk on the bad side. But you can't straddle the fence. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it just isn't something humanly possible. You are either good or bad, you can't be both.

    CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER.

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  5. I do not think I have ever read a preface of a book that I agreed with more. I took 3 pages of notes on just the preface. I will share just one of the many points with you here.

    Chan writes, "I get nervous when I think of how we've missed who we are supposed to be and sad when I think how we're missing out on all that God wants for the people He loved enough to die for."

    POWERFUL! I think immediately of all the wonderful blessings bestowed on my family and on me personally when we have handed over situations in our lives to God. Then, I think of the times when I have felt the need to control and manipulate the situation. How much better would I have been if I had consulted and talked with my ultimate counselor and Father? Why do I slip back into the tendancy to control? Isn't my heavenly Father so much more that I can ever hope to be? Thank you Father for knowing me better than I know myself and forgiving me when I am overcontrolling. You have blessed me so abundantly not because of me, but in spite of me.

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