A Sojourner’s Thoughts

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Actions do speak louder than words

As I ponder on the teachings we find in 1 Peter I come upon these words from Peter:

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV).

Peter is telling his listeners to stay pure, abstain from doing wrong things. Why is he telling them this? He is doing so not so the people can be glorified, but rather so that God may be glorified.

You see, when we live in a manner that is consistent with being a Christ-follower, it is not to draw attention to ourself, rather it is present God in such a way that He is glorified by what we do. How we conduct our daily business, how we treat others, how much road rage we exhibit on our daily commute can all have an impact on others.
Our Christ-centered life is not about following a set of rules to ensure we are doing what we are suppose to do, rather it is about living our life in a consistent manner with how Jesus lived his life. Our actions should speak louder than words. Our action should be such that when people look at our life, God may be glorified. Our actions are a reflection of our beliefs and values, a reflection of our heart condition. Are you living out what you say you believe and value? Are you living out your life in as Jesus did? Are you doing this consistently? I know that I have areas that I need to work on, what about you?
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Life or Living

This is my first attempt at something akin to poetry… at least it is not prose…

Life

I am a sojourner –
Watching, pondering, wandering
Not knowing where the journey began,
Not caring where it ends

I create a map –
Passions, talents, dreams
God has implanted these,
It is His fingerprints all over my life

I am being transformed –
Shaped, formed, molded
Transformed by forces,
Both from within and without

I am called –
To love, to obey, to respond
Action is expected,
Courage and strength are required

I am and I am becoming –
Transformed heart, transformed mind, transformed soul
I am, but I have not yet become,
The creation that God has intended me to be and become

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God, are you speaking?

I have been restless of late. I am pondering the journey I am on and where it is leading. I get this way every now and then. Erwin McManus in his book The Barbarian Way tells us to dream the dreams that God is laying out for us. Sometimes this can be scary, sometimes it can seem unrealistic, sometimes it may be that your desire and God’s dream converge but you just don’t know what to do or how to achieve it. Or maybe you ask the question, Is this my dream alone and am I imposing it upon God?

As my sojourn continues I wonder what’s next. I was at Elizabeth Hunnitcutt’s CD release party last night and not only did Elizabeth talk about what it is like being on a journey, but so did one of her warm-up singers. He spoke about french fries, salt, his daughter and his wife. The essence of the story boiled down to the notion that we should do things because Jesus did it. We don’t always have to know why or what the result will be, but if Jesus did it so should we. Elizabeth sang a new song called Finally Feel Like Living. This is one of those songs for me that instantly makes me stop and ponder for a while. My deeper reaction to this song will be another post in the not to distant future after I have pondered it for awhile.

How do we respond when God has given us a dream to fulfill? What if it seems to big, to impossible, or simply to weird? How should we respond? How will I respond? How will you respond? Another question to ask (and another posting to write) is are you even listening?