Thoughts on Death to Life

Posted by: Jenny Schreiner

Until recently, when I read verses like Luke 14:25-33 asking me for my life, I had these highly romanticized notions of what God was asking of me - skipping college to be a missionary in Thailand, creating health clinics in poor latin american countries, or starting a church in Spain. I often even told God that He could take me early if it meant others would come to know Him. None of these ideas/dreams/desires are bad, they come from a heart to please God. And for many people, God asks these things for their lives. But in my dreaming of living adventurously for God, I missed out on an important possibility: denying yourself, taking up your cross & following Christ may not be an exciting adventure involving learning a tribal language to translate the Bible, it may "only" require daily living a mundane, unexciting life in obedience to God.

Let me explain. At times, with being a stay at home mom, I struggle with the repetitiveness of diaper changes, laundry, dishes, babies crying & lack of being able to do a lot of evening activities. However, the past week God has been kindly reminding me that when I told him he could have my life it included the unglamorous. I still live for the gospel; however, it's played out differently than I imagined it would be. I've been learning its so important to not have conditions for what you're willing to lay down your life. Seems obvious. But its taken me quite a while to actually learn... and I have so much to learn. *sidenote - I love, love, love Owen & Eden. It is a blessing to stay at home. Even though I have times that I cry & have to work through my attitude, I would not change how God has orchestrated our lives.*

Along with this, as we lay down our lives to become disciples, I've been reminded that it begins with our normal, daily lives. This past week I was reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (thanks for mentioning the devotional in your post Julia it has been good for me to read it). Here are his exhortations on being a disciple (from September 11th):

Ministering in everyday opportunities that surround us does not mean that we select our own surroundings— it means being God’s very special choice to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us. The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings.

The things Jesus did were the most menial of everyday tasks, and this is an indication that it takes all of God’s power in me to accomplish even the most common tasks in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels, dishes, sandals, and all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done.

Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (13:15). Notice the kind of people that God brings around you, and you will be humiliated once you realize that this is actually His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him. Now He says we should exhibit to those around us exactly what He has exhibited to us.

Do you find yourself responding by saying, “Oh, I will do all that once I’m out on the mission field”? Talking in this way is like trying to produce the weapons of war while in the trenches of the battlefield–you will be killed while trying to do it.

We have to go the “second mile” with God. Yet some of us become worn out in the first ten steps. Then we say, “Well, I’ll just wait until I get closer to the next big crisis in my life.” But if we do not steadily minister in everyday opportunities, we will do nothing when the crisis comes.

So for me, my surroundings give the menial tasks of caring for two kids under two. For you, it may look like answering that phone call in corporate america, driving alone for countless hours, working on relationships with roommates, however it looks your life provides many opportunities to deny yourself & respond like Jesus.

Finally, God has been redirecting my attitude towards dying to myself. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) In context, this verse is referring to financial giving, but I believe the concept applies to giving of your life. I want to be someone who joyously, not grudgingly, gives my life over to God to do as He chooses. I have been reflecting over the words of a man named David Linvingstone, a missionary in Africa. After having many illnesses, the death of his wife, and a lack of response to the gospel, he remarks that he "never made a sacrifice." I don't think he means his life was without difficulty, he is referring to fact that in light of all God has done for him it is not a big deal to give back his entire life. I am learning to delightfully hand over my life to God & joyously accept his lot for me. Furthermore, in Mark 10:28-30 there is a promise connected with leaving everything to follow Christ - It says we will receive a hundredfold back in the time & the age to come. So not only has God saved us from hell, but he also promises to give back 100x what we give up. Wow. What an amazing God we serve! I pray that we each can come to a spot where with open hands we can say, "This is no sacrifice, here's my life."

Grace in Weakness

Posted by: Julia Rude

I was really encouraged by the bible study we had on Wednesday night - something that I have been praying the past few years is that the gospel will never become “old news” or unimpressive to me - this I feel is a danger to being a PK. God is so faithful though - once again I was encouraged and amazed by God’s love and unbelievable grace, it’s truly amazing! Believing that we are saved by grace and not by works goes against my flesh. My natural tendency is to work for whatever I want, or to work to win other peoples approval, but God is constantly reminding me of my wickedness and how the only way I have a right standing before Him is by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Understanding that salvation is a gift and it can’t be earned, that this is the way God set it up so we are completely dependent upon him for joy, peace, hope, peace and life. I am reminded every day of my sin and my desperate need for his grace in my life, recognizing that without him I can do nothing. God’s grace is wild to me - that He has given me so many good things, none of which I was deserving of. As I understand God’s grace more and more my hope is that I am able to extend that to the people in my life so Christ can be glorified.

My friend Liz and I get together pretty frequently to talk about what God has been teaching us and about what’s going on in our lives. She is super wonderful and has been a great example to me in the area of faithfulness, I am super thankful for her! Anyways, after about a year or so of her talking about Oswald Chambers' “My Utmost for His Highest” I realized that there is probably more than one copy of it and I should get my own and read it for myself. If you’re unfamiliar with this devotional all you need to know is that it rules. Reading a passage of scripture and his thoughts about it has been incredibly encouraging and challenging. Each day I have read it the past few weeks I have felt like I understand the Christian life a little bit better. Last week I read one entitled “Usefulness or Relationship?” and it went along with Luke 10:20 “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” This devotional was especially encouraging in that we shouldn’t get so excited about our service to Christ, but that as Christians we have a right relationship with him. He went on to talk about how God isn’t so concerned about the measure to which we are useful to him but how much we value our relationship with him. I was talking to a sister this morning about how we sometimes fall into the mindset that we have to do, do, do or have a Martha-like attitude thinking that God is really pleased with us when we are constantly worrying about how “useful” we are being for Christ, while in all reality He doesn’t need us at all but chooses to use us for His own glory. This sister and I were also talking about 2 Corinthians 12:9 which says “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” She asked me when the last time I rejoiced in my weakness, and I just laughed. Naturally we just want to hide or deny our weaknesses; we have this pride that we can get by on our own while in reality that pride is standing in the way of God’s power in our lives. I just hope to grow in my understanding of how God is the one who makes us adequate for his service and I don’t have to feel like I have to be perfect or something to be used by Him. I have been reading the gospel of Luke lately and these verses have been on my mind:

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” Luke 17:7-10

I just want to have this attitude that Christ has done so much for me and giving my life and all that I am is really appropriate and makes perfect sense. In order to have this I need to be reminded of his grace and love in my life and to see myself as his servant rather than acting as if God owes me anything.