Day: July 8, 2013

Getting Back The Fire For God

Anonymous asked:

What happens when you lose the fire and it’s starting to feel like there’s no hope? I’ve always been in love with Jesus but right now, I’m feeling hopeless and want to quit everything and just run away from all my problems. How do I regain the fire for God again?

 

Dear beloved friend,

Very often in church we never learn that the Christian life eventually runs into dry seasons, low valleys, and long periods of silence and stagnation.  It’s not really the church’s fault and it’s not your own: because almost everyone is afraid to talk about it, like it’s an unforgivable sin to admit you feel far from God.

So we learn the Christianese code words of plastic smiles and quick handshakes and I’m-fine and That’s-in-my-past and Things-are-tough-but-praise-God — when every night at 3am you look at the ceiling fan wondering if this is all just a crazy ridiculous lie.

But you are closer to the truth than you think.  You’re quickly learning the Big Christian Secret —

That every Christian struggles, every person doubts, and we all wonder if we’re just kidding ourselves.

Every — Christian — Ever. 

This is really the entire point of my blog.  So I have one simple word for you.  Ready?

— Relax. —  Breathe out.  It’s okay.  You’re in a valley, but hang tight, because God is still there, He loves you, and He’s still rooting for you.

Continue reading “Getting Back The Fire For God” →

Quote: Behind His Back


The prophet [Isaiah] said of God, ‘You have put all my sins behind your back.’ When something is behind our back, it is out of sight. We can’t see it anymore. God says He has done that with our sins. It is not that we haven’t sinned or, as Christians, do not continue to sin. We know we sin daily — in fact, many times a day. Even as Christians our best efforts are still marred with imperfect performance and impure motives. But God no longer ‘sees’ either our deliberate disobedience or our marred performances. Instead He ‘sees’ the righteousness of Christ, which He has already imputed to us.

Does this mean God ignores our sins like an overindulgent, permissive father who lets his children grow up undisciplined and ill-behaved? Not at all. In His relationship to us as our Heavenly Father, God does deal with our sins, but only in such a way as for our good. He does not deal with us as our sins deserve, which would be punishment, but as His grace provides, which is for our good.


— Jerry Bridges