In between reading from some pretty riveting textbooks about Roman society, Medieval literature, and Renaissance art, I've managed to sneak in a little non-school related literature. That in itself is an accomplishment, so bear with me here. I'm pretty geeked out. What's funny is that they're all books I probably would have turned my nose up to a few years back. I hope I'm learning to be open minded while still retaining discernment. Got to love all those fine lines and Golden Means.....
Anyways, I'm not done with any of these yet, but I'm noticing a common effect they've had on me so far. They make me want to love God more. Both straight up affection towards His person and a desire to truly dedicate my self and life to Him. One of my trademark personality traits is an epically one-tracked mind, which can be good, but in this case makes things difficult. I tend to get wrapped up in the details of getting through my day and forget the big picture of why I'm really here in the first place. These books point me back to God. They've reminded me of how lovely a life that's lived for Him really is. They make me want that.
First off is Francis Chan's Crazy Love. One of its passages has already made the blog. I'm about halfway through and so far, the whole book is of the same caliber as the quote I posted. Highly convicting and reflective. I don't agree with what is a bit of an obsession in evangelical culture with feelings-based experiences in our spiritual lives, because most of the time our emotions are unreliable and we can't base our faith/spiritual status on what we're feeling at the present moment. But that said, affection for God still is an important part of our lives. You can love someone and not necessarily feel warm thoughts about them all the time, but if you never do, you've got a problem. So one of the things I'm appreciating about this book is how it stirs up my heart and brings me back to Christ. I don't want to become cold and distant.
I'm also reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. It's sort of geared toward my college age crowd. While Crazy Love is more theology-ish, this is application. Piper urges us to make the most of our lives for God. This is how he starts off the book:
For me as a boy, one of the most gripping illustrations my fiery father used was the story of a man converted in old age. The church had prayed for this man for decades. He was hard and resistant. But this time, for some reason, he showed up when my father was preaching. At the end of the service, during a hymn, to everyone’s amazement he came and took my father’s hand. They sat down together on the front pew of the church as the people were dismissed. God opened his heart to the Gospel of Christ, and he was saved from his sins and given eternal life. But that did not stop him from sobbing and saying, as the tears ran down his wrinkled face—and what an impact it made on me to hear my father say this through his own tears—“I’ve wasted it! I’ve wasted it!”
This was the story that gripped me more than all the stories of young people who died in car wrecks before they were converted—the story of an old man weeping that he had wasted his life. In those early years God awakened in me a fear and a passion not to waste my life. The thought of coming to my old age and saying through tears, “I’ve wasted it! I’ve wasted it!” was a fearful and horrible thought to me. (pp. 11-12)
That kind of thing has always been on my mind. Reading this has been like having someone shake you awake when you've dozed off in class (or something like that because I have no experience with that kind of thing....). I need to continue to be reminded of the big picture, that I'm not just in college to write papers and have fun with my (amazing) friends. And believe it or not, but college isn't the end-all either. I exist to glorify God. I need to remember to make my life one that is marked by that quality. They tell me I'm coming to the age in life when you make all the pretty important decisions. I want all of mine to be consistent with a life focused on God.
Finally, there's Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson. This is the book I've been reading the longest and have made the least progress in. C'est la vie. What I have read so far has shown me the beauty of God in the world around us. Reading it, I'm left in awe of how the details of creation point us back to God. Really, I have no excuse for getting distracted. God is everywhere. (Meant of course in the most orthodox, non-pantheistic, good-sober-Calvinist way possible.)
Yesterday, my pastor preached on how the Church is illustrated as a bride. What really struck me was how he applied it. This side of eternity is the engagement period. A bride spends hers busy preparing for the wedding. Her groom is never far from her thoughts. In the same way, it's only natural that we spend our lives preparing for our wedding day to Christ. Our love for Him will be expressed in our adorning ourselves with good deeds done for Him (Revelation 19:8). (Also meant of course in the most Protestant, Sola Gratia, good-sober-Calvinist way possible.) We can't afford to waste our time on things that won't contribute toward this goal; dare I say it? - ain't nobody got time for that.
So that's where my mind has been hanging out lately. Hooray for good books and sermons that convict you and point you to better things.
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