Here is the article my mom sent me about making choices in life. Life Doesn't Have Optional Voids. We can either choose right or choose wrong. The author states that it is therefore ok to focus on externals. I whole-heartedly agree except that our real focus is on the heart, because our outward focus (the law) MUST NEEDS be fulfilled by Christ's righteousness and not ours. Otherwise we end up stuck in a perpetual inability to live up to our external focus. However, a heart that loves God must make choices and these choices will be reflected in externals. If we do not allow our external choices to reflect our heart, they will bog us down. And in this light, yes, it is ok focus on externals, not as a fulfillment of a responsibility (that is done) but as a freedom to live better, and as a freedom to pursue the style of living that LOVE has instilled a desire for in our hearts. That's what I've thought of so far. Let me know if you have different thoughts on this. I'd love to hear!
Ben
PS: Now that I'm all done writing, I'm thinking about this quote by a friend that demands to be shared here. Tim Collins once noted that, "Music is the facilitation of our heart's desires." I think this is very applicable to our discussion here. Externals are a facilitation of our newborn spirit's desires. Yet, even though music may not irresistibly affect an active and alert heart, it still carries its own message, and when allowed by the heart, will wear its message in. In the same way, externals may be discerned as good or bad (as defined by God's law and/or by the heart He has given us, I don't know which) and can affect our spirit either by prolonged nagging, numbing walls of scars, or by allowance. Once again. Thoughts out on paper. Correct me in the wisdom of God if these thoughts are leading wrongly. Blessings.
Well said, Ben. I don't have any new idea to add, but just want to echo what I knew was true and important.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with both you and the author of the post "Life Doesn't Have Optional Voids". On one hand, "If we don’t seek what is good on purpose, we will gravitate to what is bad by default", on the other hand, the reason we seek good has a higher purpose than self-improvement - it is a response to God's love and for the fear of God.
We can and should focus on the externals if we treat them as milestones. Stopping at the focus of externals will either frustrate us or usher us into a shallow pride. The external appearance of our pursuit should looks as if we will never stop the pursuit and we never got discouraged.
If we let Him, the holy spirit never stops digging deeper into our hearts: He may confront obvious lies we said at first. After our submission to deal with that, He may dealing with more subtle untruthfulness that we aren’t aware ourselves. It is a life-long journey that can have a happy ending everyday, if we let Him.
-D
Good reminder. Milestones, not the end itself, keep us humble. I liked that part too. I remember you used to tell us that. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteAgree.
ReplyDelete