Our church is studying the Psalms this summer. It is absolutely wonderful. I can relate to the Psalmist so well. I read from Psalms everyday, it is my favorite book of the Bible. I also, listen to Piper each week and it just so happens that he is taking his church through the Psalms this summer, so I get a double dose of my favorite things. Kind of like having you a Sonic Diet Cherry Diet Coke and a Starbucks Non-Fat Double Shot in the same day!!
To top all that off, I believe God is working in my heart and teaching me more about grace. More about His compassion and care for me, more about how I am but dust and He knows it. I am seeing more and more weakness in myself and yet, I am not discouraged. I feel so sure that He has a way to help me and He will do the work in me. It is not about me doing it and getting it and perfecting it. It is all about Him, all of grace. My role is simply to follow Him, trust Him and obey Him. Here are some things I am learning…
This is a quote from John Piper that I have been thinking about…
“Do you think you that you can reprove words when the speech of a despairing man is wind?” Job 6:26
“What does that mean? That means please don’t be picky about my language when I am in pain. If I say “God why have you forgotten me?’ don’t lecture me on the fact that God never forgets His own, do that later. Don’t be picky with my language; it’s a wind word it’s going to be blown away. There will be plenty of time for you to see my life, that I am a true lover of God and I will stand with Him no matter what. I think that’s the point. If you care about people and you’ve got a robust theology of suffering and someone says something theologically inappropriate, let it go. It’s going to be blown away. A month later they are going to look back on these horrible moments and they are going to think “Good Night, I am glad God didn’t strike me dead.’ And He didn’t and you shouldn’t.”
I have become so aware of how often I feel like I need to have a solution to my weakness or sin and I need to give others a solution too. I have spoken too quickly to correct others when they are weak, instead of coming along side and just carrying them. In Job it reads, “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw his suffering was great” (ch. 1). Piper’s quote undid me. I was in tears as I have done that to others and had that done to me. I truly believe that, out of love for someone, I have spoken words that are true but not timely. Many times it is better to remain silent. There will be time later to adjust.
And then, we were at the pool recently and there was this dad with his son, about 6 years old. The boy was swimming the length of the pool and whenever he would come up for air the dad would scream “SWIM, SWIM.” The boy would barely get a breath and then go under again. A few times the child tried to hold onto his dad, he was exhausted, only to be met by more screams of “Get off of me and swim.” It was heartbreaking. I turned to Hosanna and told her “That is how I feel right now. I can’t even get a full breath before I have to go back and swim.” Well, the lesson had just begun. I have come to see that it is not God screaming at me, He instead is saying “Are you weary? Float, rest, breath, let me carry you.”
Again, it is all about God working and doing. It is not about me and all I can do. He is my everything and the changer and sustainer of my being. He will accomplish His desire in me.
If you have time, listen to the teaching by Eric Hughes that we heard this past Sunday at Grace Church and then go to Pipers' website and listen to June 1, 2008. They are both so excellent!
P.S. I am not excusing sin or saying we don’t need to be responsible for ourselves. I am, also, not saying we should not correct one another in love. I am just saying that for me, I want to move more by grace and less by rules and trust that God will work in me and in those around me and it is not up to me to fix it all in my life or in anyone else's.
