musings
ariah asked for me to expound on the c.s. lewis quote on my xanga, so i figured i'd post my further thoughts here, too! lucky you.
Today in History
CS Lewis converted to Christianity while riding to the zoo in his brother's motorcycle side car in 1931.
in response to ariah's request. :o)
first off, i was first exposed to the quote from my previous post by john piper, whom i just love. God has used him on several occasions to shift my paradigm. i first heard john speak at one day 2000 (my first trip to tennessee), about our position in Christ. it was mindblowing for me. i'm sure i had heard what he said a few times before, but i guess it was the right time and place and my heart was open. he talked about galatians 2:20 and how when Christ died, we died along with Him, and we are now new creations through whom He is living. the old has passed away, it is no longer i who lives, but He lives in me.
i think the second time i heard john speak was at student week in glorieta, oooh what year was it... blast. 2001 perhaps? i could look it up in the journal archives. anywho, he talked a LOT about the glory of God. and how we aren't the center of God's universe. how everything He does ISN'T just for us. how if He really claims to love us, that He would place Himself above everything else. i had a super hard time with this-- it sounded like God was on this ego trip. but as john used Scripture i realized that yes, he was right! read through isaiah, psalm 23, so many places-- it's all about HIM. everything God does is for HIS glory, for HIS name's sake. if God were to have me, or humanity, as the highest concern in His mind (while YES i'm incredibly loved!) then He would be guilty of idolatry. and we can't have that, now, can we?
my supervisor brian (campus minister of the bsu) was way into john piper as well and we had some good talks about stuff, and i listened in on others' discussions of piper's perspectives. (apparently john piper makes some people really mad!) God really was speaking to me about the whole thing, and it took me a year or so, but i finally got his book "Desiring God". i read it while i was in thailand summer of 2003 (one of the best and toughest summers of my life!). i think he uses part of this c.s. lewis quote in that book. and among other things i learned what Christian hedonism is.
some people have major issues with "Christian hedonism", as a phrase mostly. when you understand where john's coming from on it, it really makes sense. basically it means that you pursue your own pleasure. and you realize that God is the only true source of real pleasure. "pleasures are at His right hand forevermore", as the psalmist says. and i love the way john piper states it: "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."
and that's what c.s. lewis says to me in that quote. if i settle for anything less than God's best in my life, then i am not bringing Him the honor He deserves. if i seek pleasure in anything besides Him, the wellspring of life and all blessing, then i am cheating myself and Him.
so... needless to say this effects my entire outlook on life. for instance, if i do something to help someone else, it is not only because they need help and will benefit, although that is of course a huge part of it. it is because it's what Jesus would do, because it would bring Himself joy. it would please God. it just might even cause that person to worship Him. and that's the whole point of everything we do. here's a terrific quote from john's book, God's Passion for His Glory:
"...if God's glory is the only all-satisfying reality in the universe, then to try to do good for people, without aiming to show them the glory of God and ignite in them a delight in God, would be like treating fever with cold packs when you have penicillin."
so anyway... c.s. lewis' quote is very meaningful to me because it reminds me that God indeed wants the absolute best for my life, and i should never settle for "good enough" in anything. as i delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart. and i want those desires to be what HIS desires are. cuz it will make me happy, and it will make God happy. and then i can be an overflow of happiness to those around me and hopefully THEY will be happy and "glorify our Father in heaven".
woohoo!
Today in History
CS Lewis converted to Christianity while riding to the zoo in his brother's motorcycle side car in 1931.
in response to ariah's request. :o)
first off, i was first exposed to the quote from my previous post by john piper, whom i just love. God has used him on several occasions to shift my paradigm. i first heard john speak at one day 2000 (my first trip to tennessee), about our position in Christ. it was mindblowing for me. i'm sure i had heard what he said a few times before, but i guess it was the right time and place and my heart was open. he talked about galatians 2:20 and how when Christ died, we died along with Him, and we are now new creations through whom He is living. the old has passed away, it is no longer i who lives, but He lives in me.
i think the second time i heard john speak was at student week in glorieta, oooh what year was it... blast. 2001 perhaps? i could look it up in the journal archives. anywho, he talked a LOT about the glory of God. and how we aren't the center of God's universe. how everything He does ISN'T just for us. how if He really claims to love us, that He would place Himself above everything else. i had a super hard time with this-- it sounded like God was on this ego trip. but as john used Scripture i realized that yes, he was right! read through isaiah, psalm 23, so many places-- it's all about HIM. everything God does is for HIS glory, for HIS name's sake. if God were to have me, or humanity, as the highest concern in His mind (while YES i'm incredibly loved!) then He would be guilty of idolatry. and we can't have that, now, can we?
my supervisor brian (campus minister of the bsu) was way into john piper as well and we had some good talks about stuff, and i listened in on others' discussions of piper's perspectives. (apparently john piper makes some people really mad!) God really was speaking to me about the whole thing, and it took me a year or so, but i finally got his book "Desiring God". i read it while i was in thailand summer of 2003 (one of the best and toughest summers of my life!). i think he uses part of this c.s. lewis quote in that book. and among other things i learned what Christian hedonism is.
some people have major issues with "Christian hedonism", as a phrase mostly. when you understand where john's coming from on it, it really makes sense. basically it means that you pursue your own pleasure. and you realize that God is the only true source of real pleasure. "pleasures are at His right hand forevermore", as the psalmist says. and i love the way john piper states it: "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."
and that's what c.s. lewis says to me in that quote. if i settle for anything less than God's best in my life, then i am not bringing Him the honor He deserves. if i seek pleasure in anything besides Him, the wellspring of life and all blessing, then i am cheating myself and Him.
so... needless to say this effects my entire outlook on life. for instance, if i do something to help someone else, it is not only because they need help and will benefit, although that is of course a huge part of it. it is because it's what Jesus would do, because it would bring Himself joy. it would please God. it just might even cause that person to worship Him. and that's the whole point of everything we do. here's a terrific quote from john's book, God's Passion for His Glory:
"...if God's glory is the only all-satisfying reality in the universe, then to try to do good for people, without aiming to show them the glory of God and ignite in them a delight in God, would be like treating fever with cold packs when you have penicillin."
so anyway... c.s. lewis' quote is very meaningful to me because it reminds me that God indeed wants the absolute best for my life, and i should never settle for "good enough" in anything. as i delight myself in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart. and i want those desires to be what HIS desires are. cuz it will make me happy, and it will make God happy. and then i can be an overflow of happiness to those around me and hopefully THEY will be happy and "glorify our Father in heaven".
woohoo!