CAUTION
March 23rd, 2010 by Jennie Tate Posted in Uncategorized
If you’re a Christian reading this, do you realise the extent of the craziness you’ve got yourself mixed up in? Do you know how revolutionary it is to be a follower of Jesus? Not only is this guy more powerful than anything in the world ( check out ‘The Essential Authority’ sermon) but the way of life he calls us to is nothing short of world-shaking. Coming to grips with the Gospel and His call on us means seeing work, relationships, suffering, money, the past and the future completely differently to the rest of the world. It’s tough because it’s ‘costly’ from one point of view, but truthfully it’s also amazingly liberating to even begin to get what Jesus is going on about.
For those, like me, who have grown up in Christian homes it’s easy for the Bible & prayer to become dulled through repetition. We read the text and say the words, so often think ‘yeah, but it can’t really mean that’. We substitute in a watered-down interpretation. How awesome it is when God mercifully shows us he really means what he says. What an adventure ahead when we are faithfully obedient.
PS. I have been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer‘s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’
3 Responses to “CAUTION”
By Mark Chapman on Mar 29, 2010
Hi Jen,
Just wondering would you write a book review on ‘Cost of Discipleship’ once you’ve read it?
By Hannah Curtis on Apr 8, 2010
I am also reading The Cost of Discipleship. I am finding it very challenging, but also exciting. Your comments about this book have reassured me that I am on the right track with understanding it. (Thankfully, because I had to read the first section on grace three times before moving on!!!)
By Mrbonchapeau on Jun 2, 2010
“We read the text and say the words, so often think ‘yeah, but it can’t really mean that’. We substitute in a watered-down interpretation.”
Ouch! But yeah, shockingly, disappointingly, it’s so true.
Going off on a tangent a bit, but reflecting on this idea that we have a resistance in some sense to actually getting what God is telling us. We have this resistance to fix up our broken thinking, despite knowing that we aren’t alright…
Sometimes I wonder about what would I be like if I actually loved people as much as God does. Just tonight actually I was watching a very disturbing doco about murder crimes in Japan, and as I reflected, I realised I really don’t care nearly, nearly, nearly as much as God does about the horrendous, cruel, revoltingly filthly injustices in this world that happen every single day. Imagine if I started really reading the Bible humbly. Revamping my thinking so that I loved people heaps more than I do. If I got pained heaps heaps more than I do currently about the injustice and suffering in this world?
Wow. That’s worth it. Please make it happen, God. Amen