reader comment: ups and downs

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 13-08-2008

Category : God, faith, reader comments, taking action

Tags: , , , , , ,

 
I’ve been sitting around all day wondering how I was going to write an introduction to this post. What could I say that would add more impact?  Then it occurred to me, maybe I should just let the comment speak for itself.  So here it is – I received this in response to some of the ideas discussed in the ups and downs of faith.  Naturally these reader comments are more insightful than my own.  Don’t you just hate that?! 

As far as R3 goes.. I can see why you wouldn’t want to write, and I can totally relate to feeling like if you did it’d be a fraud, but I think that writing in times like this is just what R3 is about :o ].  I mean, R3 is a blog where people learn how to live out a life of faith.  How else can we learn to live out a life of faith if our faith isn’t tested at times, if we don’t want to just throw in the towel some times, if we don’t want to give up and call our losses?  I think that this time in your life is the perfect time to be writing on R3.  I think that you should talk to your readers about what you’re going through and by telling your readers what you’re going through they may see what it is that they need most – a demonstration of what it looks like to live a life of faith.  And that, in my opinion, is more impactful than hearing someone write when things aren’t hard (not to say that those writings aren’t important – but I’m sure you know what I mean :o ]).

reader comment: community

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 23-07-2008

Category : God, reader comments

Tags: , , , , , ,

  

One of the best parts of R3 is when I hear from readers.  And today was no exception.  Last week I wrote about the importance of community, and Beth Lorow of ex(PR)essed – the best named blog on the internet – added her thoughts to that: 

You know…my experience with community is that the church, or at least what it’s supposed to be, provides community no matter the location. I certainly didn’t feel a sense of community right after I packed up and moved to Harrisburg. But, eight years later, and I’m starting to feel those bonds. And it’s ok that it took that long because for many years it was just me and God. And that was ok too. He prepared me so that I would really savor/relish/embrace community once I found it.

 

reader comment: hope

1

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 14-04-2008

Category : hope, reader comments

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Christopher, of Got Fruit? fame, sends in this comment:

I most always view reference or mention of the word “hope” as synonymous with Jesus Christ; how He is the key to God’s plan for redeeming us through Him.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1st Corinthians 13:13

It took me a long, long time to realize that.  I searched for all kinds of answers, never even guessing that God was part of the equation.  And so all of my searches proved, if you’ll pardon the pun, fruitless. 

Erwin McManus says that our souls crave God, and when we try to fill that craving with something other than God, we’re always disappointed.  The more we put into our lives that isn’t God, the emptier we feel. 

fear

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 05-12-2007

Category : reader comments, sharing faith, taking action

Tags: , ,

 

Today I was going to write about faith and reason.  But I’ve changed my mind because I realized something this week.  I realized that I’ve become comfortable with my faith.  My trust in God has slowly been turning to religiosity in God.

There was a time where I would have happily sacrificed anything for God, because the memory of him saving me was so strong.  But over the last year that’s dimmed a bit.  I’ve developed theological ideas.  I’ve come to conclusions about who God is and what he wants from me.  I’ve become comfortable with my level of generosity.

I don’t think any of those things are bad in and of themselves.  But they are causing me to fear talking to him about things.  I don’t want to hear answers that may challenge my beliefs.  I don’t want to be bothered with changing my life – I’m comfortable now.

But that’s not how God works.  We have to give him our all.  We can’t hold anything back, because if we do it hurts our relationship with him.

To be honest I don’t know what all this means.  I just know, with God’s help, I have to become open to everything he has to say.  No matter how uncomfortable that makes me.

It’s scary to stand before God knowing you’ve been hiding.  It must have been that way for Elijah when he ran away from his job and hid in a cave.  God had to actually go into the cave and call out to Elijah saying, “What are you doing here?”  I’m sure God has been doing that to me, and I have just had my fingers plugged in my ears!

reader comment: will God forgive me?

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 02-11-2007

Category : God, love, reader comments

Tags: , ,

   

Reader Eduardo Flores sent in this comment:

“Douglas Kelly from Reformed Theological Seminary said, “The only thing we can offer God is Christ’s obedience“. When we meditate on that, we find the beauty of that statement. As Isaiah 64:6 says, all our rightgeous acts are like filthy rags  to God (NIV). The only thing that God sees in us (those who are united to Christ) is Christ’s obedience and love for the Father. That is the only reason we can come to Him.”

It’s easy to start thinking we can impress God.  As humans we try to impress people on a regular basis.  We get used to people responding positively towards us when we tell jokes or work extra hours.  We’re so used to it that we hardly even think about what we’re doing. 

But stop for a minute and consider God.  Do you really think he’s someone we can impress with our behavior or ceremonies?  Do you think God really has a musical preference?  Does he like knock-knock jokes?  Is he impressed when you work 70-hour weeks?  Those are just “things” and God is not a God of “things” he’s a God of relationships.  The bottom line is this: there is nothing we can do to impress someone who has existed for all time.  And even if there was, he’s seen it by now! 

The minute we start believing God is impressed by our methods, our music, our prayers, or our language is the moment we separate ourselves from God.  The more distance we have between us, the harder it is to establish that relationship.  By focusing on “doing” we are telling God that we are more important than he is.  And how could that ever be true?  In the end, the best we can hope to “do” is to love God.  And fortunately that’s what God asks of us.  He doesn’t ask us for fancy prayers, or elaborate ceremonies.  We don’t need a stand up routine or polished resume to get into Heaven.  He just wants us to love him in our hearts.  Because he knows if we do that our lives will never be the same. 

reader comment: loving your enemies

Posted by e. barrett | Posted on 22-08-2007

Category : love, reader comments, taking action

Tags: , , , , , , ,

   

A reader sent in this comment regarding the previous post:

“A few weeks ago I heard an interesting statistic about anger: our bodies allow us about 7 seconds to decide whether we’re going to get angry about something (i.e. a person cutting us off on the highway).  If we choose to get mad, our body releases chemicals that then linger in our bodies for 3-4 hours!  It seems to me, then, that anger is truly a choice, and rarely is it the appropriate choice, especially for situations involving mini-vans (my personal peeve) or Ohio drivers.”

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