Wednesday, March 24, 2004
I've just started reading Rick Warren's book Purpose Driven Life in preparation for my upcoming talk about "Christians in the Field of Art" this coming Sunday in a friend's sister's church. I now understand what made it a big hit even among non-believers. I don't think it's preachy and the ideas are easy to catch. What's interesting about it also is that though the book is interspersed with biblical verses, the author did away with those reference chapters and verses enclosed in parenthesis making the flow of ideas running smooth. But the most important thing about this is that author doesn't espouse a life full of religion but rather encourages a reciprocal relationship with our Creator who desires it better than we do (which is a spiritual matter and very different from the former). Here's an excerpt:
Hasta ahora tan excelente!
That desire—to have complete control—is the cause of so much stress in our lives. Life is a struggle, but what most people don’t realize is that our struggle, like Jacob's, is really a struggle with God! We want to be God, and there’s no way we are going to win that struggle.
A.W. Tozer said, "The reason why so many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us."
We aren't God and never will be. We are humans. We accept our humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. When faced with our own limitations, we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. We want to be taller (or shorter), smarter, stronger, more talented, more beautiful, and wealthier. We want to have it all and do it all, and we become upset when it doesn't happen. Then when we notice that God gave others characteristics we don't have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity. (p. 79; Chap. 10 - The Heart of Worship)
Hasta ahora tan excelente!
@ 11:20 PM ---> 
