The CT site brought back an exceptional piece by Phil Yancey, just in time for us to break our New Years resolutions. It’s called “A Believer’s To-Be List: Steps to a fresh start with God.”
Wow, what a major load of insight from one of my fave writers! Of the nine points he makes, two really slapped me upside the head:
Question your doubts as much as your faith. By personality, or perhaps as a reaction to a fundamentalist past, I brood on doubts and experience faith in occasional flashes. Isn’t it about time for me to reverse the pattern?Remember, those Christians who peeve you so much—God chose them too. For some reason, I find it much easier to show grace and acceptance toward immoral unbelievers than toward uptight, judgmental Christians. Which, of course, turns me into a different kind of uptight, judgmental Christian.
What about you?
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January 14, 2008 at 12:57
Wow! Thanks for posting that.
January 15, 2008 at 06:34
Tnanks for the heads up and the link for Yancey’s article. He is also one of the authors I appreciate a lot. His book Soul Survivor gave me encouragement and strength during a very dark time a few years ago.
I especially like his first point. It ties into two other statements that have been running through my mind lately:
1. “Never negotiate with a liar, especially when that liar is your own brain” in Get it Done When You’re Depressed, by Julie Fast and
2. Don’t question in the dark what you knew with certainty in the light. (my pastor’s wife regarding some friends who were doubting and assuming they had missed something or not acted on God’s will, etc. because things didn’t turn out the way they’d hoped on a decision they made. We are too quick to equate “God’s Will” with things that turn out the way we want, I think, and assume we’ve missed his will when life gets hard, which I think is a false paradigm for looking at it.)
I agree with Yancey that we tend to credit too much certainty to our doubts.
January 15, 2008 at 10:48
Wow that’s what’s up i always say be a doer of the word and when i find my self getting upset with someone that say’s you are suppose to be a christian and you are getting mad i tell them that god said be ye angery but sin not.Then i fine that somtimes you could be going through a lot at one time and then someone will say where is your faith. I think personally that it has nothing to do with your faith sometimes the flesh steps in and some times you can’t even pray for your own self. when going through sometimes you have to call a friend and say pray for me sounds familiar. That why god said fail not to assemble your self among the church.Even when jesus was in the garden praying and he ask peter and them to watch his back while he pray to the father and the fell asleep and jesus said unto the father. Father why has thou forsaken thee. Would you say that he had no faith course not because the flesh step in so remeber that he made man in his own image and would you say that he believe less something to think about huh!!!!!!!!
January 15, 2008 at 11:16
Nice subject this subject hit the button on the nose what a way to going. AN it shall paid off one day and you will look back on things in you furture. Hope that your year be fill with joy and happyiness/ health.