A Long Digestion
I guess this needs to be quick to make sure I get it in on time to meet my daily quota... I'll try. Wie ich habe schon gesagt: ich bin immer langsam. Trotzdem...
God has made us all the way we are for a reason. I believe that. I also believe He has put us in environments and situations for a very specific reason.
I've mentioned the ministry I've been a part of here in Georgia. To abbreviate things, I would say that one characteristic that could describe it would be fruitcentric. No. That is too limited a view. That is what I feel like it is right now. I'm not getting anywhere in my head or on this post. It has taken several minutes to get this far.
Okay here we go. Vomit time.
I want to be fruitful. God has made it clear throughout scripture that He wants us to be fruitful in... well I should think almost if not all aspects of our lives. Jesus made it clear over and over again that we must be fruitful (Luke 13.6-8, Matt. 7.15-20, Mark 4. 2-25, Matt. 25.14-29, Matt. 28.18-20). But the fruit must be of the Father's production, no? He has nourished me here. He has given me nutrients and pruning and good sunlight and shade. All those things combined should produce fruit, no? I suppose there are many manifestations of fruit. Well, this could go several ways, the point I'm trying a round about way to get to is the idea of helping others by pointing them to Jesus, challenging them, etc. as being a form or fruit. This is true. John 14.15 If I truly love Jesus I will obey Him. I want to obey Him. I want to help others know Him. I don't want to make someone my project. I don't want to be someone else's project.
But can I reject the flames that the Father has lit to refine me. No. Well, perhaps. But that would be rejecting the Father, oder? Perhaps none of this makes sense. I apologize if you're reading and it doesn't. I'm just trying to make sense of it myself. Trying to understand how to obey out of love, how to accept the Father's instruction, the Master's command to His slave, how to love my neighbor and point Him to the Master with that love - for Jesus and that neighbor - as the motivator and not out of guilt, some compunction to check the block so that I can report back to someone else, "oh this is who I've helped (so don't poke me, cus see, there, I've met my quota)."
Frankly, that is bulls@%$ and it frustrates me.
Sadly, that aversion to... the possible side-effects of... trying to be obedient led to ultimately stagnation for... oh, the better part of the last nine years for me. I must be faithful with what Christ has given me, or even that will be taken from me. Perhaps I am the tree from Luke 13.6-8. Perhaps this is the year the gardner has bought for me before the Master has me chopped down. But perhaps even this (well, to use the title of the blog) "rumination" is in itself some form of meager fruit and it would be enough for the Master to not chop me down. But if it is partly in my hands, why leave it here at this fruit (if it is truly fruit at all (and would it really be fruit if I did not then go forth and obey after all this contemplation, or would it be like the fig tree from Mark 11.12-14, which only appeared to have fruit from a distance?))? Why be as fruitful as I can be? There if no reasoning sufficient to justify being less fruitful than possible.
One more thing that troubles me: Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had no fruit, yet "when he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs." What does that mean?
Na gut. Ich habe doch nicht den Takt geschlagen. Der Sonntag wird ein Doppel-Post Tag sein.
(Wenn Sie mein schlechte Deutsch verstanden wollen (vielleicht, wenn Sie gluecklich sind), sind diese Website ziemlich gut: www.leo.org oder http://babelfish.altavista.com/ )
Bis naechste mal!
God has made us all the way we are for a reason. I believe that. I also believe He has put us in environments and situations for a very specific reason.
I've mentioned the ministry I've been a part of here in Georgia. To abbreviate things, I would say that one characteristic that could describe it would be fruitcentric. No. That is too limited a view. That is what I feel like it is right now. I'm not getting anywhere in my head or on this post. It has taken several minutes to get this far.
Okay here we go. Vomit time.
I want to be fruitful. God has made it clear throughout scripture that He wants us to be fruitful in... well I should think almost if not all aspects of our lives. Jesus made it clear over and over again that we must be fruitful (Luke 13.6-8, Matt. 7.15-20, Mark 4. 2-25, Matt. 25.14-29, Matt. 28.18-20). But the fruit must be of the Father's production, no? He has nourished me here. He has given me nutrients and pruning and good sunlight and shade. All those things combined should produce fruit, no? I suppose there are many manifestations of fruit. Well, this could go several ways, the point I'm trying a round about way to get to is the idea of helping others by pointing them to Jesus, challenging them, etc. as being a form or fruit. This is true. John 14.15 If I truly love Jesus I will obey Him. I want to obey Him. I want to help others know Him. I don't want to make someone my project. I don't want to be someone else's project.
But can I reject the flames that the Father has lit to refine me. No. Well, perhaps. But that would be rejecting the Father, oder? Perhaps none of this makes sense. I apologize if you're reading and it doesn't. I'm just trying to make sense of it myself. Trying to understand how to obey out of love, how to accept the Father's instruction, the Master's command to His slave, how to love my neighbor and point Him to the Master with that love - for Jesus and that neighbor - as the motivator and not out of guilt, some compunction to check the block so that I can report back to someone else, "oh this is who I've helped (so don't poke me, cus see, there, I've met my quota)."
Frankly, that is bulls@%$ and it frustrates me.
Sadly, that aversion to... the possible side-effects of... trying to be obedient led to ultimately stagnation for... oh, the better part of the last nine years for me. I must be faithful with what Christ has given me, or even that will be taken from me. Perhaps I am the tree from Luke 13.6-8. Perhaps this is the year the gardner has bought for me before the Master has me chopped down. But perhaps even this (well, to use the title of the blog) "rumination" is in itself some form of meager fruit and it would be enough for the Master to not chop me down. But if it is partly in my hands, why leave it here at this fruit (if it is truly fruit at all (and would it really be fruit if I did not then go forth and obey after all this contemplation, or would it be like the fig tree from Mark 11.12-14, which only appeared to have fruit from a distance?))? Why be as fruitful as I can be? There if no reasoning sufficient to justify being less fruitful than possible.
One more thing that troubles me: Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had no fruit, yet "when he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs." What does that mean?
Na gut. Ich habe doch nicht den Takt geschlagen. Der Sonntag wird ein Doppel-Post Tag sein.
(Wenn Sie mein schlechte Deutsch verstanden wollen (vielleicht, wenn Sie gluecklich sind), sind diese Website ziemlich gut: www.leo.org oder http://babelfish.altavista.com/ )
Bis naechste mal!
posted by Brett at 11:31 PM
1 Comments:
Brett...
Why do you think that life is so confusing... just when i think that i understand something it slips from my grasp.... ugh!! Why does life have to be so confusing?
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