Sunday nights always find me challenged and inspired. I'm blessed to be a part of a wonderful church that leaves me wishing it was Sunday every day. I think that's what church is supposed to feel like. This morning's message was a challenging reiteration of what I just wrote about: inspiration. Basically, taking it to the next level, which would be "change". Have a responsive heart to the voice of God and obey, not just think about it.
Later this evening, my husband and I started reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. It's the book our small group will go through this Fall so we are getting a head start. Three chapters in and I'm already convicted about a major part of my life: prayer. I love books like that where the author clearly and skillfully presents deep truth that resonates in your Spirit. You start out thinking you know all about [insert subject], and suddenly you're hit with a completely new way of seeing it. But then what? There's always that question...what to do with this new and challenging information?
Well, first of all, I need to process through these thoughts for a bit, which is really why I write. It's how I process the best. A little while back I wrote a post about relating to God in a submissive "your-will-be-done" way. I still strongly believe that we need to beware of having a strong grip on "our way" because that may be getting in the way of "His will" which is always better than we can imagine. However, I realized tonight, in reading Batterson's book, that I've kind of developed a passive obedience in my relationship with God. Let me explain.
Batterson says that "if your prayers aren't impossible to you, they are offensive to God". It took me a few minutes to swallow that, but being a parent is awesome because I understand God at so many new levels. When my 3-year-old son whines for me to help him with something that we both know he can easily do, that offends me. It's sometimes his way of getting attention or competing with the younger ones. Or just being lazy. And when I'm juggling a nursing baby, a messy girl and a whiny boy, yes indeed, that's offensive.
Of course, God is infinitely more patient and gracious than me and my parenting skills. But on the flip-side, when my son sweetly asks for my help with something too big for him, some "big boy" step in life that he is trying to master, then I fill up with pride and compassion and grace and all these good things and I gladly help him. That's when I feel like a great parent. So Batterson's statement makes sense to me now.
I feel like I'm starting to see a deeper level of relationship that is possible with God! Maybe, just like any other relationship, He wants more with me than just a boring "yes, Sir" and "Your will be done". I mean, an obedient child is better than a rebellious one, but you can be obedient and compliant and still not have an exciting relationship. My husband doesn't want a wife who only ever responds to him with "Yes, Dear, whatever you want." It's way more interesting and exciting to have a little bit of discussion and conversation over things. So how does that apply to prayer?
According to Batterson, it's boldness, specificity. Being sure of what we hope for, that's the definition of faith. So, am I sure of what I hope for? Or am I vague and unspecific and, well, boring?
Well, that sums up my Sunday night thoughts. I think I will try to start a weekly Sunday post called Scenic Sunday, because come Monday, it's easy to forget all the things that got me stirred up and inspired the day before. I want to remember the "scenery" that Sunday painted for my life and take that into my week. So here's the first Scenic Sunday post.
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