They were impossible to ignore- Andy Stanleyīest-selling author Eric Metaxas wrote in the Wall Street Journal article “Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God” (Dec. They received little compassion, but they were willing to extend what they had to other people. What gave them leverage was their inexplicable compassion and generosity. Their beliefs were so odd, religious people couldn’t understand them. The hallmark of Christians in the first century was not their wealth. While Christianity had none of the conventional strengths required to start a movement, its appeal and influence can be traced to an unexpected source: generosity. How could Christianity not only survive, but actually thrive? Their conclusion is nothing short of remarkable. How do you explain that? Over the years, a number of historians have explored this phenomenon in detail. And yet somehow their movement continued to grow. For nearly three centuries, they remained utterly powerless – ostracized socially, persecuted politically, and tortured physically. In everyday society, they were basically considered a cult. But when He slackens, slacken at once: and do not be slow only, but silent, very silent, for He is God- Fredrick Faberįirst-century Christians weren’t organized, had no building, and weren’t recognized by the government. When He comes, go with Him, but go slowly, fall a little behind when he quickens His pace, be sure of it, before you quicken yours. We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and the lightning, in the cold and the dark. Let it overshadow our souls, but let it not disquiet them. There is something greatly overawing in the extreme slowness of God. We must fasten upon this attribute of God in our growth in holiness. Sweetly and strongly He compasses His ends, but with a slowness which tires our faith because it is so great a mystery.
Thus grace, for the most part, acts slowly. It is because we are but for a time, and He has been for eternity. He is slow: we are swift and precipitate. In the spiritual life God chooses to try our patience first of all by His slowness. Nouwen, Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life This dark power has driven many of the greatest artists into self-destruction- Henri J.M. In many people’s lives, there is a nearly diabolic chain in which their anxieties grow according to their successes. And the more we allow our accomplishments - the results of our actions - to become the criteria of our self-esteem, the more we are going to walk on our mental and spiritual toes, never sure if we will be able to live up to the expectations which we created by our last successes. In short, we are worthwhile because we have successes. And we are important because someone considers us indispensable. We are helpful because someone says thanks. We are intelligent because someone gives us a high grade. That means we are not only in the world, but also of the world. And before we are fully aware of it, we have sold our soul to the many grade-givers.
I did not know that he had put into my hands the secret that would open far darker rooms than this-places where there was not, on a human level, anything to love at all.When we start being too impressed by the results of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. I did not know, as I listened to Father's footsteps winding back down the stairs, that he had given me more than the key to this hard moment. Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way, Corrie, God can give us his perfect way."
"God loves Karel-even more than you do-and if you ask Him, He will give you His love for this man, a love nothing can prevent, nothing destroy. Or, Corrie, we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel. We can kill the love so that it stops hurting. "There are two things we can do when this happens. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. "Corrie," he began instead, "do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. And of course he did not say the false, idle words. The sweet cigar-smell came into the room with Father. For in some deep part of me I knew already that there would not-soon or ever-be anyone else. Afraid he would say, "There'll be someone else soon," and that forever afterward this untruth would lie between us. “.suddenly I was afraid of what Father would say.
0 kommentar(er)
