Inspirations
Matt Chandler
It has been my experience that inspirations are brief, sporadic and rare. By inspiration I mean those moments where our souls are stimulated to a high level of feeling, thinking and doing. I love those brief, sporadic and rare moments. I am addicted to the vitality I have, the love I feel, and the clarity of thought that occurs when I am inspired. I have tried for years to pay attention to these moments, to dig into them, excavate them, and figure them out.
What is it that inspires me?
Who is it?
What stirs my affection…for my wife?
For my children? For life in general?
This to me is one of the major ideas that demand an answer. To solve this arduous riddle means more energy, richer life, deeper relationships and greater self-awareness.
Several years ago I started applying this line of thought to my relationship with Christ. Instead of asking myself what inspired me to be a good man (what’s that anyway?) I started asking what stirs my affections for Christ. What, when I’m doing it, when I’m around it or dwelling on it creates in me a greater hunger for, passion for and worship of Christ and His mission? The first list was a strange one. It looked something like this:
1. Early mornings and hot coffee
2. The writings of John Owen (at the time it was The Mortification of Sin)
3. Listening to Lauren sing
4. Walks through graveyards (I know this is weird but it reminded me of mortality)
5. The book of Hebrews
6. Robust dialogue on ecclesiology or missiology
7. Sermons by John Piper
8. Angst-filled music
I also wrestled with and paid attention to what robbed me of affection for Christ. What, when I was doing it or spending time around it created in me an unhealthy love for this world? The first list was a strange one because the majority of things that robbed me of zeal for Christ and His mission were morally neutral things. It looked something like this:
1. Watching too much TV and spending too much time online
2. Staying up late for no reason
3. Following sports too closely
4. Being physically lazy
5. Empty conversations (talking for hours about nothing)
6. Idleness
For the last few years I have updated this list often. In fact it has changed quite a bit. I want to pay attention to life. I want to be keyed in to what feeds my zeal for our great God and King and what kills that zeal. My hope is that I could flood my life with Christ-exalting, worship-creating things and avoid anything that would rob me of that.
What inspires you?
Better yet, what stirs your affections for Christ, truth and holiness? If we can fill our lives with the things that stir our affections and avoid and flee those things that rob us of inspiration, we have a better shot at dwelling deeply. What and who inspires you? Stirs you? What presses you into holy places? What robs you of joy and vitality? What robs you of your affection for Christ and holiness?
From Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I am studying the life of this hero for the sermon this week. His words have inspired me to write something here.
"There are three purposes for which the Christian needs a definite time when he can be alone during the day: scripture mediation, prayer and intercession. All three should have their place in the daily period of meditation."
"In our mediation we ponder the chosen text on the strength of the promise that is has something utterly personal to say to us for this day and for our Christian life, that it is not only God's word for the church, but also God's word four our us individually. We expose ourselves to the specific word until it addresses us personally. And when we do this , we are doing no more that the simplest, untutored Christian does everyday; we read God;s word as God's words for us."
"There are three purposes for which the Christian needs a definite time when he can be alone during the day: scripture mediation, prayer and intercession. All three should have their place in the daily period of meditation."
"In our mediation we ponder the chosen text on the strength of the promise that is has something utterly personal to say to us for this day and for our Christian life, that it is not only God's word for the church, but also God's word four our us individually. We expose ourselves to the specific word until it addresses us personally. And when we do this , we are doing no more that the simplest, untutored Christian does everyday; we read God;s word as God's words for us."
From "Humility" by Andrew Murray
“The lesson is one of deep import: the only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us, and carry out in our ordinary conduct. The insignificances of daily life are the importances and the tests of eternity, because they prove what really is the spirit that posses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are. To know the humble man, to know how the humble man behaves, you must follow him in the common course of daily life.”
I have been journaling and praying and talking about humility and the motivation for wanting it for quite a while now. This morning during a break from studying for the message this week I read the above quote and it nailed the thought that I have been chasing for weeks now.
After reading it this was my prayer that followed and is the vision for me at this moment..."God, I long for this because it is pleasing to you and life giving to me and follow worthy for those I shepherd."
I have been journaling and praying and talking about humility and the motivation for wanting it for quite a while now. This morning during a break from studying for the message this week I read the above quote and it nailed the thought that I have been chasing for weeks now.
After reading it this was my prayer that followed and is the vision for me at this moment..."God, I long for this because it is pleasing to you and life giving to me and follow worthy for those I shepherd."
Savoring God:: A Study in the Psalms
In a world of confusion, the Psalms connect the true emotion of the soul to the true needs of the soul. They ignite our hearts to worship as they bring together emotion and truth.
The apprehended truth of God ignites our hearts and we respond. Apprehended truth about the character of God is genesis of the song we wrote (Steadfast Love) and it is the genesis of each Psalm. I want to lead us in an aggressive pursuit to lay hold of the truth of the character of God. The hoped for result is worshipful lives, clarified minds and true art.
The apprehended truth of God ignites our hearts and we respond. Apprehended truth about the character of God is genesis of the song we wrote (Steadfast Love) and it is the genesis of each Psalm. I want to lead us in an aggressive pursuit to lay hold of the truth of the character of God. The hoped for result is worshipful lives, clarified minds and true art.
Repaying sin with grace
This afternoon I was confronted with selfishness and it made me angry. It made me very angry and I responded to the situation with anger. That sat with me all day. Other situations arose the rest of the day, most of which I responded with anger and other forms of sin. I walked around my house full of pride and resentment and a sense of entitlement and anger all night. I was no fun to be around.
Then in the midst of that sin, I walked outside to throw away a trash bag. On the way back in I was overcome with conviction of my sin. I spoke out loud two simple words, "I surrender".
I have taught much lately in sermons about humility and attiude. Today I repaid selfishness with selfishness. That led to many sins from many people and a miserable night.
We are called to have the attitude of Christ, Christ repaid sin with grace. Lord that I might show that attitude to my family and the church you have called me to lead.
Then in the midst of that sin, I walked outside to throw away a trash bag. On the way back in I was overcome with conviction of my sin. I spoke out loud two simple words, "I surrender".
I have taught much lately in sermons about humility and attiude. Today I repaid selfishness with selfishness. That led to many sins from many people and a miserable night.
We are called to have the attitude of Christ, Christ repaid sin with grace. Lord that I might show that attitude to my family and the church you have called me to lead.
Humility
Some quotes that I have been drawn to from my reading from the Andrew Murray book "Humility"
"Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficent explanation of every defect and failure."
"The call of humility has been to little regarded in the church because its true nature and importance has been too little apprehended."
"Humility is...the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all."
"Let us feel as if nothng but a very determined and persevering waiting on God and Christ will show how lacking we are in the grace of humility, and ho wimpootent to obtain what we seek. Let us study the character of Christ until our souls are filled with the love and admiration of his lowliness. And let us believe that, when we are broken down under a sense of our pride, and our impotence to cast it out, Jesus Chirst himslef will come in to impart this grace too, as a part of wonderous life within us
"Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficent explanation of every defect and failure."
"The call of humility has been to little regarded in the church because its true nature and importance has been too little apprehended."
"Humility is...the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all."
"Let us feel as if nothng but a very determined and persevering waiting on God and Christ will show how lacking we are in the grace of humility, and ho wimpootent to obtain what we seek. Let us study the character of Christ until our souls are filled with the love and admiration of his lowliness. And let us believe that, when we are broken down under a sense of our pride, and our impotence to cast it out, Jesus Chirst himslef will come in to impart this grace too, as a part of wonderous life within us
