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Unfulfilled Dreams
I have been thinking about something today. I've been thinking about what it means to respond to life as a Christian. I think that we oftem make the mistake of thinking that our witness comes out only through the rules we follow and the standards we live by. I seem to find myself in a lot of situations where I end up spending time with people who aren't Christians, yet many of them have standards and rules...lines they won't cross, so to speak. I know many Christians who draw the lines in different places than other Christians. I don't think it can be rules and standards that are the main thing. So, I've been wondering what is it about me that points to who Christ really is?
I've determined that it all comes down to one thing and one thing only: Whose will am I seeking? Whose dreams am I trying to fulfill? Whose glory am I setting out to gain? In essence, what do I point to in the way I react, the way I behave, and the way in which I interact with non-Christians and Christians alike? It's not just about the bumper stickers on the car or the church that I go to. It's the will that I'm seeking. What do I do when all my plans and dreams fail, when people get sick and die that I think should live, and when I pray and only seem to hear silence? Over a year ago, I heard a pastor give a message about the Christian's response to frustrated dreams. I will never forget it as long as I live. In fact, I still have the notes from it, and I look at them whenever I start to get too focused on what I want and on how what I want isn't happening. There is one passage of Scripture that comforts me continually. It's in Habakkuk 3:17-19. It always reminds me of what my true mission is. It's not to do anything but rejoice in the God of my salvation and live for His will alone. His will is love for others and obedience to Him.
"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail;
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls-
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills."
— Posted by Hannah
Posted by lilypress at May 25, 2005 11:36 PM
