I write all that is below because I feel I should share a glimpse, and that is all it is, of what I have come home from. I share it with you not to make you jealous, but to create within you a longing for the things of God. We are too content. Thats what was revealed to me this morning at church, I called people to hunger, thirst, longing, to want to chase after Him, to see His words bear fruit. Read what God has said He will do, read what Jesus said about Himself and his kingdom and our authority, read it and then declare it. We are living with the bar set too low, we are far too satisfied and content with where we are and the tiny things we are asking for. How big is your God? I ask again, how big is your God? Sit under His waterfall, ask for Him to fill you so that you might be brimming, that you might be poured out to everyone you come into contact with. Stop being comfortable and satisfied. Divine discontent. I dare you to pray for it ;)

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

This morning I continue my journey to explore rest, to ask afresh the question of how Jesus modelled life, what He demonstrated to His disciples not just through words but through His actions. I am astounded again as I read the gospels, trying hard to take off my culture filtering glasses for a moment and simply read.


He did not appear to walk obsessed by destination. Nor was He fixated on finding specific people to heal, deliver or meet with. He and His disciples walked when hey wanted to walk, ate when they were hungry and found somewhere to rest when they were tired. People followed Him as He sat and told stories, proclaimed the news of the kingdom and healed the sick. The thing that strikes me the most as I read chapter after chapter of Jesus' life,


is how laid back it all is.


Now I know some of this is because of the culture He was in, but God knew what He was doing in choosing Israel 2000 years ago for Him to be born rather than a technologically obsessive work driven, financially motivated, media centric world to bring Him to. Just because something is different in circumstance or time frame, does not make it irrelevant to us.


He walked. People followed

He sat. People sat

He taught, some listened, some did not

He healed

He rested

He prayed

He walked some more.


Aside from getting pretty heated about the temple being used by money changers and the pharisees living hypocritically to what they were teaching the people, Jesus doesn't appear to raise His voice, get irate, be worried about getting anywhere on time, have a schedule in mind, be worried about missing opportune moments or even be bothered about His public appearance.


He carried a message of the kingdom that He shared with everyone, regardless of who or where they were. He healed everyone who asked (and, I would imagine, a few who didn't). He walked and taught and spent time with His friends, mentoring and sharing life with them and taking them away for rest when they had been working hard. He often made time to get away alone and pray and spend time with the Father. He spoke of peace, love and faith. He gave God all the credit and looked to Him for every move He made.


I don't see any stress here, or striving, or scheduling.


Was this just "for a season"? or could it be this is actually how we are meant to live our lives?

posted by Claire at 12:05 PM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home