Yesterday I asked how some of the things Einstein said applied to us as believers. I mentioned that there is an issue that universally keeps raising its head as I speak to pastors and men. The issue is that as men we have been charged to lead our families in the Word of God, but that our churches have not done a very good job of equipping us to do so. To date, every pastor with whom I have talked about this shakes their head in resigned agreement.
There have been books written, David Murrow’s
and Leon Podles’
books are good and important examples. There have been stadium events and Men’s Fraternities in multiple churches throughout the land. Those are great. I have attended both. But they are the same thing we have been doing one man standing on a stage sharing verbally with some number of men sitting in an audience. The only thing we did differently is remove the girls.
We seem to be doing the same things but expecting something different. Insanity, according to Albert. I tend to agree. We do not seem to be encouraging and showing men how to practically get their nose in the Book. To give them the tools and the expectation that what Christ said in John 16:13 is true, that if one dives into the Book, the Holy Spirit will lead them to truth.
It seems that we might need to change our thinking if we expect men to lead from the Word.
and Leon Podles’books are good and important examples. There have been stadium events and Men’s Fraternities in multiple churches throughout the land. Those are great. I have attended both. But they are the same thing we have been doing one man standing on a stage sharing verbally with some number of men sitting in an audience. The only thing we did differently is remove the girls.We seem to be doing the same things but expecting something different. Insanity, according to Albert. I tend to agree. We do not seem to be encouraging and showing men how to practically get their nose in the Book. To give them the tools and the expectation that what Christ said in John 16:13 is true, that if one dives into the Book, the Holy Spirit will lead them to truth.
It seems that we might need to change our thinking if we expect men to lead from the Word.
Can only agree with this principle. Your example is a lot like sitting at a table laden with an extravagant abundance of food, just looking and expecting that's eating and getting the nourishment needed to live.
ReplyDeleteThere is no substitute in life for deep personal immersion and rigorous application of God's Word, taken in to our lives and digested (Jer.15:16). Otherwise we won't really grow spiritually and will starve to death or become very sick.
I would offer one small caveat on the general idea behind the statement on insanity. I can think of times in my own life (too many, but not near as many as there have been I fear) where I tried to do very good, even godly things but in my own fleshly energy. The very same thing done when I turned it over to God and trusted Him rather than myself produced a far different result.
Jesus summed it up famously in John 15:5: "...apart from Me you can do nothing."
Except screw it all up, of course...
Would it not be the case that if you try something with fleshly energy and then change to doing it through the power of God you are in fact doing something different?
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