Before you head off into your weekend, here are three quick things that I have read and been thinking about this week. Hope they are as helpful and challenging to you as they have been for me. Have a great weekend!
#1
A divinely transformed heart, by its very nature, will produce right action. It simply cannot do otherwise.
Streams of Living Water by Richard J. Foster
Keeping rules only gets you so far. Embodying the rules…that is a longer term solution. Knowing that the “rules” lead to where you want to go can be less of an ultimate leap of faith if you’ve seen it work for others. And one more thing. Embodying only happens with transformation which is a heart not a head matter. It is possible to grow more in love and therefore more transformed no matter what our culture tells us about chasing shiny new things. It takes routines. It takes patience. It takes perseverance. It takes the Holy Spirit working in your life as you avail yourself more and more of his ways.
#2
What counts is the leader’s presence and being, not technique and know-how.
A Failure of Nerve by Edwin H. Friedman
People won’t remember what you told them but they will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou paraphrase
Your presence is the best gift. I am not saying that your know-how is useless by any means, but what we do will not outshine who we are.
Working on ourselves, or better put from a Christian perspective, allowing God to transform our hearts is the key to being the spouse, friend, family member, part of society that we desperately need. It doesn’t just happen. It takes intentionality. What is yours?
#3
Expecting people to build a satisfying moral and spiritual life on their own by looking within themselves is asking too much.
If you put people in a moral vacuum, they will seek to fill it with the closest thing at hand. Over the past several years, people have sought to fill the moral vacuum with politics and tribalism. American society has become hyper-politicized.
David Brooks from The Atlantic When Did America Get Mean?
I am still in the middle of processing this article so I don’t have much to say at this point. But the above quote makes the case for moral formation being a team game not a solo sport. Church, is my answer, to the team. The body of Christ is the only place where a satisfying moral and spiritual life can be built. Our work, if we so choose to accept it and be involved in it, is great. But, our God is greater.
todd nelson 