God is restoring my broken soul today


The idea of “death to self” is radical in a culture that tells us it’s normal to beef up our résumé, exaggerate our successes, and put forward the foot that impresses others most. After we recover from the shock that growing disciples of Jesus are to die to self-promotion, we find it difficult to believe it’s possible to live a rich life in God in which we lack nothing! 

We won’t have to fake this (having to pretend we don’t want to be rich, thin, or own a fancy car). It will be normal because we are caught up in God’s life. We really will be okay; in fact, we’ll be so much better than we’ve ever been before. 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Quiet yourself and try to truly believe the ideas in Psalm 23:1-3. Picture this sheep who is surrounded by green pastures yet isn’t on his feet munching away. This sheep is so full and satisfied that he contentedly lies down without needing even a bite. Move through the verses in a way such as this (fill in the blanks with details from your life): Maybe the Lord really is my shepherd today. Perhaps I really do have everything I need, even when it comes to_________. The Lord will provide me green pastures, even though I may not recognize them at first. I may think that what I need is missing, but it will be there. I’ll figure that out faster if I rest (lie down) in God. The still waters are there for me to drink from any minute I need them. In certain events today, such as __________, I may need them frequently. 

God is restoring my broken soul today. It is healthier than ever. When I become confused today, God will guide me in the right path. Again, I may not recognize it until later, but I can trust God's name, God's presence and God's power in my life today.

Dallas Willard

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Replacing/transforming our destructive ideas & images

Image
IMAGES: IDEAS PICTURED - Closely associated with governing ideas are images, which are concrete or specific as opposed to the abstractness of ideas. They are laden with feeling. In recent history, hair (long, short, skinhead, green, orange, purple) has provided powerful images of conflicting idea systems.  In many churches today, the services have divided into traditional and contemporary, so that the guitar and pipe organ are no longer just musical instruments but powerful symbols. Such divisions are not unimportant or sinful, but one does have to understand what drives such divisions in order to act responsibly in relation to them. Jesus carefully selected an image that conveys himself and his message: the cross. It presents the lostness of humans as well as the sacrifice of God and the abandonment to God that brings redemption. No doubt it is the all-time most powerful image and symbol of human history.  Ideas and images can be a stronghold of evil in the human self and
Read more

Distorted images of God

Image
Carefully placed images persuade us to forgo thinking and accept ideas we might normally question. For example, putting the flag of one’s country on a product or event aims to brand it as good and wholesome when it may not be. Images that seem benign in movies may also “teach” an idea that, if we thought about it, would appall us. But we unthinkingly accept the idea because we like the image.  TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Consider your images of God. While Scripture puts forth images such as breath and wind and fire and cloud, be honest with yourself: What really comes to mind when you think of God? For many, God is a benevolent giant who is too busy for them, a clever boss who pulls the rug out from under them just when they thought they knew what was going on, or a hard-nosed teacher who demands much of them. Give some thought to what ideas drive your images of God. What do you routinely think about God (even though you might never tell anyone at church)? Finish this sentence: G
Read more

Retaking our toxic thought life

Image
INFORMATION AND THE ABILITY TO THINK - Two other factors in our thought life can be used by God to break the power of the toxic system of ideas and images that make us dead to God. These are information (or facts) and our ability to think—to connect things in our mind.  After God has implanted new life from above in us by Word and Spirit, we must take the initiative in progressively retaking the whole of our thought life for God’s kingdom. Failure to know what God is really like and what his law requires destroys the soul, ruins society, and leaves people to eternal ruin: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” and “A people without understanding comes to ruin” (Hosea 4:6,14, NRSV).  This is the tragic condition of Western culture today, which has put away the information about God that God himself has made available. Spiritual formation requires thinking. The gospel of Jesus repudiates false information about God and the meaning of human life, and it works to und
Read more