Deliberate living
Every believer is responsible to conduct himself deliberately.
Let me explain what I mean.
To live deliberately is to live on purpose. It’s the opposite of letting life happen to you. It’s the opposite of going with the flow.
To be deliberate is to be careful, not careless. To be thoughtful, not thoughtless. To be deliberate is to be intentional.
A quick caveat
I’ve been wanting to do a series on this topic for quite some time. But every time I consider starting, I’m reminded of all the objections to deliberate living. I’ve waited a long time in order to let my thoughts settle, but I’ll take this series similarly to how I handled my series on epistemology (part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5): I’ll work through it as I go.
Three objections
Probably the biggest objection to deliberate living is that it’s a personality thing. “You’re a thoughtful sort of person. I’m not. So I don’t need to worry about that sort of thing.”
Another objection is that deliberate living is just a form of legalism. That it focuses on externals and insists on black and white answers.
Finally, some would object that deliberate living is a professional concept, not a Christian one, and—as all good Piper fans know—brothers, we are not professionals.
A response
1) To the first objection, I’d suggest that this logic simply doesn’t follow. Some people are more prone to honesty than others. But that neither makes honesty right or wrong. It’s immaterial.
2) In response to the second objection, certainly a legalist could easily gravitate to the conclusions of a deliberate mindset. But legalism is the exact opposite of deliberate living. To be deliberate is to let go of previous conclusions and to work through the issues in order to come to a deliberate conclusion.
3) Finally, I would posit that deliberate living is indeed a distinctly Christian concept. I would suggest that Christ perfectly exemplified deliberate living and that it is this deliberate, intentional work of Christ that lies at the heart of God’s saving grace to sinners.
I hope to address these and other issues more thoroughly in coming posts.
One more thought
Having read this far, you might be thinking that my thesis (that every believer is responsible to conduct himself deliberately) is painfully obvious and pointedly dull.
If that is you, I’m glad to hear it. Still, I would encourage you to settle this matter in your heart now, because if and once this thesis is accepted and the implications are seen, it will lead you to a lifestyle that is—as one intentional Disney character was described—”scary beyond all reason.”
In fact, to put it plainly and probably more bluntly than wisdom would dictate, most believers don’t have the guts to do it. I do pray that you will.
Grace to you.
Fat War Diaries Part 2
It has been 4 months since going down the sawdust trail and committing myself to weight loss.
Over 19kgs have been shed from my mortal frame. I pray they will never return.
Matt, my PT told me that the first month or so would be the worst. Never have truer words been spoken.
Commencing the weight loss campaign in late October 2009, was both a relief and a big step forward. At least something was happening, or at least appeared to be.
After the first week of feeling good about finally trying to address things, I came up against my biggest obstacle to change: MYSELF.
I could no longer blame:-
1. My wife’s cooking (will I ever see another apple & cranberry pie; blueberry waffles; or coffee cake again?);
2. My church (who love to feed their pastors when they visit);
3. My family (obesity is not entirely unheard of in our ranks).
No, the problem was with me, and it was a painful reality to embrace, probably more so than the hunger pangs themselves.
Change did not however come easily.
As Matt said while we were on a bush walk in response to my complaints and groanings, “Unless there is pain there will be no change!”
The truth was that after trying to eat less and exercise more, frankly, I just wanted to find the first patisserie or fast food outlet and eat like old times! Food can bring a person much comfort but it also adds something else to your waistline.
I neither enjoyed exercise nor eating right but in fact preferred physical slothfulness and indulgence. I secretly wondered if I could keep turning up at 6am twice a week for Matt to push me beyond my pain barrier (which he normally did in the first 3 minutes of our sessions).
There were so many mornings when I woke up hoping those extra kilos had all miraculously disappeared! I soon learned that the monster of over-indulgence would not be slain in a week or so.
Instead, this beast would have to be beaten, kicked, cursed and body-slammed every day for the foreseeable future for lasting change to take place. I had not become obese overnight nor would I return to a healthy size at lightening pace either.
There were innumerable temptations to quit.
I had told quite a few people that I was training and trying to lose weight. I did this deliberately to make it harder for me to back out when things got hard. I also had a real sense that it was time to lose weight and so let’s take no prisoners trying! When the temptations came to quit, I didn’t want to retreat and look like it was all talk and bravado.
Some higher motives were also at work. I did come under conviction that my general health and size did not bring glory to God. This was a real resolve strengthener to just try and hang in there.
So for the month of November I did more exercise, though it was still pretty lame. I ate less food than I did in October, but still more than necessary.
Well, I jumped back on the scales after four weeks of training and found out that I had lost 3.3kgs! I am not sure if Matt was more shocked than I was. I thought I may have lost a kilo or so, but certainly no more.
This bit of progress gave me something that I had not hitherto possessed: hope. The heavy door of change had been pried open, even if it was only an inch.
Weight could be lost. It was hard, but not impossible.
Bring the Almighty God into the picture and things were looking much brighter.
To be continued…..
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:13
Making Good Entertainment Better
Last week, I drank a mixture of kiwi fruit, banana, apple and guava that promised “wellness” and the “balance of the mind and soul.” (For what it’s worth – I think that the bacon, sausage and mushrooms led an insurgency against the wellness).
Entertainment is like eating. There are so many choices and everyone has a different preference. For the purpose of this post – we need to assume that you are making wise choices in the nature and quality of your entertainment. The purpose of this post is to make good entertainment even better!
- What are you learning from your entertainment? Entertainment is a powerful teacher. Avatar is an excellent example of wrapping a simple, erroneous lesson into an exciting technology. The primary value of watching Avatar is to identify and discuss the message. Other forms of entertainment can reinforce positive traits such as patience and diligence.
- Would someone benefit from joining you? I am thankful to my friends for inviting me to play golf and basketball. The camaraderie was excellent – the experience was humbling. Can you invite someone to share in your passions? Will it encourage them spiritually? I have a friend who never watches sport alone. He always uses the event to build relationships. I think that’s a great idea.
- What are your loved ones learning from the amount of time and money you spend on your entertainment choices? There are two parts to this issue – time and money. Your employer values your time. You need to value your time. Choose to spend time with your loved ones. Don’t make the tragic mistake of spending lavish amounts on good entertainment while failing to provide for basic necessities. You can’t swap eleven months of financial pressure in the home for one week of a dream holiday.
- Are you improving or dreaming about the potential? I once went to a Triton display to learn about all the tools I could purchase for making quality furniture. After the display, I was impressed with the product but disheartened by the process. I could see that it would take weeks to produce a simple box that I could purchase at IKEA for ten kronor. We’ve all purchased something with the intent of turning it into a great hobby. Is it time to put it on Ebay?
- Try something different. Two years ago, my wife and I took art lessons. I’ll be honest and say that I was the only man in the class. However, I learned so much about colour, perspective, and the process of creating oil paintings. Go out of your comfort zone and learn a completely new skill.
Here’s the bottom line: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).” We are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has made us to delight in Him and to enjoy His creation. How can you make your entertainment choices even better?
Have You Heard Of These?
If you lead or help in a church ministry, here are four Australian resources which can assist and encourage you.
Matthias Media is a local evangelical publisher with a distinct focus:
“We’re not the slightest bit interested in adding to the already monumental pile of Christian books churned out each year by the Christian publishing industry. The world needs more Christian books like it needs more websites.
However, we are passionate about publishing resources that fuel, promote and support gospel growth. So our publishing criteria for any project is threefold:
» Does it meet a gospel ministry need?
» Is the content faithful to the Bible?
» Is the quality of a high standard?”
At church, we’ve found much of their material meets those criteria, including the well-known Two Ways To Live gospel tract / training course and small group Bible studies. I appreciate that the contents are written by locals, as it can be difficult to adapt overseas material for local use. Matthias Media also produces The Briefing, a leading Australian evangelical publication.
The Geneva Push is a new Australian church planting network, with the aim to “raise up a new generation of church planters dedicated to evangelising churches into existence across this great nation.” They are a non-denominational support organisation, offering information to update pastors and leaders on church planting news and issues. They also provide assessments and coaching for potential church planters.
I’ve learned that the ministry and mindset of church planting is very different to ministry in an established church. Church planters need the kind of support which The Geneva Push is offering. If you are interested in planting a church, bookmark this site.
This well-produced site is very informative, collecting Australian religious news and providing viewpoints on ministry and social issues. It’s Anglican-centric, but you don’t have to be Anglican to benefit from it!
Wellsprings
Each quarter, north Queensland pastors Wally Jaworski and Tracy Minnick publish a helpful collection of articles for pastors, for free. Produced with independent Baptists in mind, Wellsprings usually includes biblical, theological or pastoral topics by various writers, as well as book reviews.
Have you found a helpful ministry site? Share it with us!
To Each His Own…
“To each his own.”
It’s the only absolute truth for most Australians.
Here’s a rebuttal in four characters:
9/11
It’s not rocket science after all. If you leave the terrorist to “his own,” the people in the plane die. And the building. 2,973 of them in all.
We know intuitively that “to each his own” is a stupid philosophy. So why do we cling to it? What’s so attractive about it?
It matters what you believe
At it’s core, “to each his own” rests on the idea that it doesn’t matter what you believe.
If this is true, then why make a lot of fuss over nothing? After all, it doesn’t really matter. You have your beliefs. I have mine. It’s much easier to shrug and say “well, you know. To each his own.”
We cling to such silliness because if we admit that what we believe matters, then we are responsible to find out if what we believe is true. And that’s a lot of work.
But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that if we find the truth, then we’re just like those arrogant jerks who think they have “biblical Christianity.” Who are they to judge anyway?
“To each his own” is our only escape from absolute truth and absolute morals. If we admit that some people—like, maybe terrorists—are absolutely wrong, then we betray the basic premise of Postmodernism—Pluralism.
The compassion of rebellion
That’s why a true Pluralist can’t just come out and say the terrorists are absolutely morally wrong. They have to try to present it in social terms. “It’s wrong because it hurt other people and that’s not nice.” In other words, “it’s wrong, but not because God said it’s wrong (after all, who is he to judge?!). It’s wrong because I decided it’s wrong.”
Meanwhile, the average Aussie bloke will tell you what’s blindingly obvious—it’s wrong. Plain, old, simple, absolute wrong. Then, as you question his authority for such a judgement, he’ll shrug and say “well, you know. To each his own.”
Great Spurgeon Quotes
“There is no fatigue so wearisome as that which comes from lack of work.”
“If any of you should ask me for an epitome of the Christian religion, I should say that it is in one word- Prayer. Live and die without prayer, and you will pray long enough when you get to hell.”
“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.”
“Of two evils, choose neither.”
“Feel for others – in your pocket.”
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”
“He that deserves nothing should be content with anything.”
“God had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the rod.”
“A lie travels round the world, while Truth is putting on her boots.”
“It is not well to make great changes in old age.”
“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”
“If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all.”
