"Why do people choose the substitute over God himself? Probably the most important reason is that it obviates accountability to God. We can meet idols on our own terms because they are our own creations. They are safe, predictable, and controllable; they are, in Jeremiah's colorful language, the 'scarecrows in a cornfield' (10:5). They are portable and completely under the user's control. They offer nothing like the threat of a God who thunders from Sinai and whose providence in this world so often appears to us to be incomprehensible and dangerous . . . [People] need face only themselves. That is the appeal of idolatry."
- David F. Wells
Saturday, January 31, 2009
. . . getting an email from a former student who you ministered to over fifteen years ago, and hearing that he is walking with the Lord, doing Kingdom work, and happily married, and being thanked by that student for the small part you played in his life.
That just happened to me. I've been pretty discouraged about the students that were in my care, or who I had an influence on, more recently, many of whom (not all, but many) appear to have discarded their walk with Jesus pretty effortlessly.
This gives me some hope. And a whole boatload of encouragement.
Trackbacks:
Trackback URL: http://thinklings.org/bloo.trackback.php/5221.
Comments on "There's Absolutely Nothing Like . . .":
2. Les
- 01/31/2009 6:51 pm CST
Well, "who" is a subject type thingy and "whom" is the objective case type thingy. "Who" does stuff to "whom". So technically it should be, "...or whom I had an influence on" since the influence is being performed on the object.
But the bottom line is, "Whom cares?"
3. Milly
- 01/31/2009 8:48 pm CST
Glad you roll like you do. If you think that you are doing a great job then you are doing less then if you aren't sure. You done good Bill!
4. Milly
- 01/31/2009 8:49 pm CST
Did I say that right? ;-}
You may only leave a comment once every 20 seconds. Wait a few more seconds and submit the comment again
I said it too fast. :)
5. Quaid
- 02/01/2009 9:22 am CST
It's hard to know what to say, having been a part of your ministry during this time.
Part of me wants to say that there's no need for discouragement as you were such a success at what you did. (Measuring success by being faithful and obedient to God, you obviously cleared the hurdle and can be labeled "successful")
Part of me wants to say that there's no need for discouragement as each one of those students has seen and met with God. Their personal decision in what they do with Him has no bearing on you. It's between them and the Father.
Part of me wants to say that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. But I think your discouragement comes from the fact that there are some who simply don't love Him. And good never results from rejection of God. Never. In that sense, it's hard to find encouragement.
That's why God gave us prayer, I suppose. I love John Piper's summation of the work of prayer in Let the Nations Be Glad!:
"Prayer is God's appointed means of bringing grace to us and glory to Himself."
In praying, we acknowledge His sovereignty and give Him glory. In hearing and answering our prayers, God continually bestows grace upon us. There's your encouragement. It's not in thinking on the lives of the individual students, but in giving the God who created them, and their time with you, glory for the blessings that flowed from those relationships. Grace will come.
6. Les
- 02/01/2009 4:06 pm CST
Yep. It's about scattering the seed and the different grounds. Your discouragement is actually an encouragement to others to scatter the seed anyway. What's the alternative?
Besides, what the ends will be in those who seem to have fallen away is unknown. The Holy Spirit does the work after we plant. It is an honor to be so used and you bring only honor to His name.
7. papa
- 02/02/2009 5:21 am CST
Almost 43 years ago a baby girl was born to a young couple who had no idea how to raise their first child to be a woman who would choose to follow Christ and honor God with her life. From the beginning we prayed that God would bring a young man that would be a Godly man that would love her and stand beside her throughout their life together serving God. God answered that prayer through you Bill. Not only are you a channel of blessings for the numerous students whom you have ministered to over your life of service to our Lord, but you have honored the Father by your loving faithfulness to your wife and being the greatest dad to your children. You have honored your mother and father, as God commands. You have honored Jill’s mother and father. You are a prime example of how when one person chooses to follow God, his life becomes a river of blessings to all that really know him.
So Bill, please be encouraged by the sum total of your life and not by any one facet of your Godly service. Our Father calls us to be faithful to follow him and serve him according to His calling for our life but the results are not ours to determine. Thanks Bill, but don’t give up. Continue your service to the Lord. We will not stop praying for you. We need more like you.
You are loved.
8. Bill
- 02/02/2009 9:09 am CST
All, thanks for the encouragement. I actually meant this post to be encouraging, but I'm afraid it came across as whiny :-)
I admit that the lack of perseverance among some former students really dampens my spirits. But I'm not discouraged.
Virgil - thanks so much.
Leave a Comment:
By the way, the "who" / "whom" rules continue to baffle me. I apologize for what I'm sure is awful grammar in this post.