As a Christian, I occasionally struggle with the truths of the faith. It is normal and healthy to wrestle with God, continuing to seek Him and coming to know Him better.
A recent conversation with my good friend Ken led him to recommend a book to me. The title is Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
What a fantastic read! Miller tells his story of growing up in the faith, abandoning the faith and coming to believe in a much more significant and deeper way. His anecdotes are often quite funny and poignant.
Miller really comes down hard on the institutionalized "church" and encourages his readers to seek true spirituality.
Whether you are already a believer or you are a seeker, Blue Like Jazz is an entertaining and enlightening read.
I have purchased Miller's follow up, Searching for God Knows What and I plan to dive into it this week.
May 3, 2005 11:02 PM
The time-honored solution for "wrestling with God" is to have God strip away all the flesh- and pride-based supports in life, leaving us with nothing but God Himself on which to rely. I've found this can happen quite suddenly, much as it did to Jacob during his escape from his uncle. If we respond properly to God during a time like this, we're left much weaker in our own strength, but much more secure in Him. He becomes real in ways that we never imagined before.
May 10, 2005 12:45 PM
Don said:
"If we respond properly to God during a time like this, we're left much weaker in our own strength, but much more secure in Him."
What happens if you don't respond properly? Are you of the idea that you burn painfully in hell for the rest of time for this or you just painfully burn for a little while?
May 11, 2005 3:56 PM
He isn't talking about salvation. He is talking about how difficult it is to walk through the trial. When we depend on our own strength, we are far less equipped to do the job than when we depend on God's strength. Depending on Him not only gives us strength where we are weak but also teaches us more about His character and power in a deeper way. As He reveals Himself to our hearts, we become more secure in Him.