If all we focused on was doing, we would miss the point. Just like we miss the point when we spend most of our time in bible studies and life groups that just sit around and talk (all head stuff). There is supposed to be a connection between what we know, who we are, and what we do. Without the connection, we are cannot be transformed.
That is why I said earlier that it may be a bit early to talk about doing. If all you did was go out and do a bunch of good things, as nice as that would be, it would likely not stick. You would end up doing it with a bad attitude. Or you would get burned out. I run into this a lot in my work with the homeless. I see lots of people doing good things with a bad attitude. Do you see a problem with this?
Where is the well-spring of action? Remember? Your knowledge should tell you this. Once you know where, then you have to work on the well (metaphor alert!). The well is polluted. But in it is a spring with an endless supply of fresh, cold water. You have to spend some time in the well doing some cleaning. The spring is plugged up. Once we get it unplugged, the well will be transformed by the water. It will overflow into your life. When that happens, you are ready to serve. This is what Grant meant when he said that we need to "minister from the overflow." (end of metaphor) Do you understand this metaphor? Can you translate it to your life?
Problem is, we do not get very good training in how to do any of this. We mainly get head stuff about it. That is what is meant by the great omission of the great commission. The church is so busy trying to baptize everyone in the world, but not doing a good job of teaching those that are baptized how to "obey all that I have commanded." I do not think this is done in bible studies. I think it is done through discipling, as we are trying to define it. Unfortunately, the evangelical church has equated discipling with increasing bible knowledge.
That is why I keep asking you things like what are you doing in your MUG time, if you dropped down into your heart today, things like that. If all we do is keep at the head, we will end up like Isaac who can't remember what the word disciple means, after spending a year "talking" about it in life group. We just talked about it and most did not practice it.
Done for now. Are we going to fast, Kurtzy? Too much writing? Do you actually read all this? My daughter tells me that I just like to hear myself talk (or read what I write). This is true! But that is not all I want to do. This is supposed to be about discipleship. We really need to met to work through some of this, but I am waiting for youth to start and settle in to see what my schedule will be.
3 comments:
Let me make a slight correction in your interpretation of the metaphor. It's not so much that you need to clean up your own life, like you need to try harder to be good. If that is all you did, it wouldn't work and it is bad theology.
The well is the heart. The heart is where the present and eternity intersect. It is there that we have relationship with God, where transformation takes place. It is where the right motive for our doing will come. The pollution is our own selfish nature and sin.
Bottom line, we need to learn to act from the heart, not just from the head. Like everything else in life, this will not just fall out of the sky. If we do not do anything except wait until grace “rains down on us” it may never happen. If we seek it, ask for it, thirst for it, intentionally practice it, then grace will rain down. Willard says that grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.
So, I am taking exception to your earlier comment about not doing much different. Too passive. You need to do something different. I would recommend you do a little from each of the three areas, but in particular the heart. You need a method or two to try. There are many different ones. Try diffent ones for a time and see which you prefer. Do this and wait for the heart to guide you in action.
If you need suggestions for what methods to use, ask some spiritual people what they do. I have a few I like if you can't come up with some.
But why hassle with all this?
Too spiritual? How do you mean this?
The hassle part gets at our motivation. If Jesus walked by your house while you were in the front yard hitting your wiffle ball around and said, "Come, follow me." Would you? Why?
Post a Comment