Year: 2013

Categories
Christian Living

The Good Enough Life

After Katrina came through in ‘05, I was given the opportunity to rebuild my library by looking through boxes of generously donated books. One of the books I received was Christy by Catherine Marshall. I had no interest in the “girlie-sounding” book. But being bored one day, I picked it up and began to read. I was quickly surprised, because I had no idea the great Christian themes that I would find within its pages.

rustic lantern attached to a wooden door frameThe story is about Christy, a young woman who chooses to go into the Appalachian Mountains to do mission work among the mountain people who lived there. On considering why she had come to the mountains to do missions… “My mind went back to my life in Asheville. Teas and receptions and ladies’ genteel talk. Church on Sunday mornings. Shopping and dress fittings. Dance-parties and picnics in the summer. A good enough life, only what did it all mean?”

Do you ever feel like all you have is a “good enough life”?
I want something more than good enough. I want excitement, joy, blessing, full contentment, abundant life.
But too often I settle for “good enough.”

Christy continued: “Where was it leading? There must be more to life than that. Or is there…? What was I born for, after all? I have to know. If I stayed at home…I don’t think I ever would know. Mother and father didn’t understand my eagerness, why I had wanted to come before I’d graduated. But I couldn’t wait forever.”

How many times have I told God “No” and kept myself from going on the adventures He was calling me to begin? There is always an excuse we can find. God is calling us into an abundant life full of those things that I said I wanted – excitement, joy, blessing, and full contentment. I hope you won’t wait forever to go on the adventure that God is calling you into. When we answer His call on our lives, we will find true, abundant life full of explosive joy.

Until then, when you fill your days and life with things that are good enough, I hope you will realize that good enough is not sufficient, because He wants you to discover abundant life in Him. That won’t always be safe, secure, or full of material wealth, but it will be exciting and bring you full contentment!


— brian rushing

Categories
Christian Living

Assaulted on Two Sides

We saw a horrific physical assault during the Boston Marathon leaving tragic consequences for individuals, families, the community, and even the nation. It is frightening to think that without warning, any of us could be under a similar physical attack. We live in a sin-filled world, and it is terrible that some have embraced sin to such an extent that they cannot see how evil their actions are. Our security forces are trying to guard us against this evil by finding the perpetrators and remove them so that they cannot do this again.

At the same time that physical assaults have been leveled at some of our nation, we find a different disturbing situation that has to potential to affect all of us today – a constant spiritual assault trying to destroy our lives. But in this area, it is left up to each person or family to be their own guardian to root out evil and remove it.

close up of a remote control to represent the spiritual assault of the arts, e.g. tv“A massive global assault has been launched upon us, and it is the arts more than any other single force that predominate as an influential agent, molding our character, our values, and our beliefs. This invasion bypasses our reason and captures our imagination” (Ravi Zacharias).

If this is true, then I best be careful what I fill my mind with in regard to music and literature and movies and tv. And parents need to be very careful what they let their children pour into their developing minds.

God tells us to think on the things that are good, noble, and praiseworthy. But I’ve listened to and watched plenty that do not fall into these categories. And in doing so I find that my language gets fouler, my ideas become skewed, and my attitude grows toxic in short order.

I remember talking to parents who would tell me that their children who normally were respectful and kind could become defiant and mean just based upon the shows they were watching. When they cut that channel or show out of the child’s life, the attitude of kindness returned.

As an adult, if I am being honest, I find the same thing true in my life. My internal attitude depends greatly on what I am filling my mind with. So I aim to be more careful with what I put into it. I aim to be more discerning about what I am watching and listening to. And if it is not good, noble, excellent, & praiseworthy, then I pray that God will give me the strength to cut it out of my life.

Have you found this to be true in your own life, or the life of your children?

— brian rushing

Categories
Christian Living

Trustfall

“More than He wants you to understand what He is doing,
God wants you to trust that He understands what He is doing.”
-Heath Johnson

I agree with my friend Heath – God doesn’t ask me to understand what He is doing. Though there are times when He provides me with understanding, there are many times when I am not able to understand the “why,” rather I am simply to trust.

But I don’t like that.
I’d rather know more about why.
I want Him to educate me on the reasons. library shelves filled from top to bottom with books

But the truth is that… “our problem is not an inadequate education. It is a rebellious heart” (Ravi Zacharias).

Fortunately, He is trustworthy. So we don’t have to require that He educate us completely with His plans. We can simply submit ourselves to His Lordship, knowing that He is a trustworthy and good King.

Trust Him.
I’m still learning how.
But I continue to find that the more trust I place in Him, the more trustworthy and faithful I find Him to be. Join me in finding Him to be most faithful!

God, Help Us To Change Our Conversations!

— brian rushing

Categories
Prayer

doin’ nuthin’

I’m thinking that maybe I should plan on doing nothing today. How much nothing are you planning on doing this week?

great dane sleeping and doing nothing with her paw over her face“We need to wake up to how much “nothing” we spend our time doing. Apart from prayer, all our scurrying about, all our talking, all our study amounts to “nothing.” For most of us the voice of self-reliance is ten times louder than the bell that tolls for the hours of prayer… Both our flesh and our culture scream against spending an hour on our knees.” (John Piper – Brothers, We are not Professionals)

We feel that there is so much else we “need” to do. But what could be time better spent than conversing with the King of the Universe? I hope you will carve out some time this morning to slow down, stop doing “nothing,” and talk with your Creator before you begin your busy day.

— brian rushing

Categories
Serving Others

Fiddlin’

Though I do not own a fiddle, there are times I enjoy just “fiddlin’ around.” In fact, I’m hoping that they introduce fiddlin’ as a new Olympic sport – I think I could compete in the heavy-weight division. But then I also wonder if my efforts to become an Olympic-class fiddlin’ champ are damaging my ability to present Christ as my greatest Treasure.

shiny wooden fiddle for fiddlin' onI loved the dialogue in a movie between a professor and student, where the professor is encouraging his brightest student to quit wasting his talents and creativity on just trying to please himself:

Student: “What is wrong with me wanting to live the good life, if I am smart enough to do so? What is wrong with me chasing the American dream of a tremendous salary, a beautiful mansion to live in, and the finest cars to drive?”

Professor: “Todd, what good is a $90,000 Mercedes-Benz if…the nation is falling apart? Rome is burning son – What good is a $90,000 Benz when [our faithful men & women of the military] are giving their lives for your freedom? How can you use your liberty and freedom to enjoy the good life when you are fully aware of what it is costing someone else to secure your liberty & freedom?  We are the problem – we are just fiddlin’, trying to maneuver around the edges of the flames.”

Wow! What an excellent discussion of what I often do with my freedom in Christ. I often present the argument of Todd to both God and to myself. Am I at all aware of what Jesus willingly gave up for me to have freedom from sin, death, & hell? What about what others are doing to continue to tell the message of Christ around the world – giving up their comfort, their safety, their finances, their security, their health, their very lives for the sake of the gospel. How can I put on blinders to chase the American Dream of comfort and safety and ease when I know of the darkness… the spiritual poverty, the spiritual hunger and thirst people are trying to quench, the persecution of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters around the world?

Rome is burning! And I am still practicing my “fiddlin’ around.” I have taken my liberty in Christ, and I have just been fiddling, staying on the edges of the flames of actual sacrificial commitment and radical obedience to Christ.

But there are people out there, day after day, all over the world – fighting to take the gospel to this world, to shine the light of Christ into dark places. When will I stop fiddling and join them in the battle? God, wake me up from the tragic dream that the Christian life should be safe and that you are okay with me fiddlin’.

“Time is too short; and the weather is too turbulent for business as usual in our Christian community.”

— brian rushing