Best of 2014
We’re just a few days into 2014 – and here are my favorites from around the web so far…
This post from Tullian Tchivdjian, “Is Your Life Defined By A Ladder Or A Cross?” It’s so good. Read it!
This post by Sarah Markley, “Small Worlds.” I love it! Please take a few minutes to read it.
This post by Greg Boyd, “Making Resolutions? Consider This!” OK, technically this is from December 31, 2013 – but I read it in 2014. Greg Boyd is a favorite of mine – so check it out.
YOUR TURN: Did you read or see anything great on the web this week? Tell me about it!
I am a husband, father, pastor, leader & reader. I love God, love people & love life.
Love the post from Sarah Markley. Thanks for sharing it.
PB – I don’t want to be difficult, but I must admit the TT blog leaves me with more questions than comfort.
Is he saying that I have no personal responsibility for obedience to God’s word or for personal growth spiritually? I believe some clarification is necessary so that his readers don’t come away with the belief they can just read the parts that sound good to them and ignore the parts that require some effort on the part of a beliver. Dying to self does not come easily, it takes effort, and God is not going to make me do it, or do it for me. He will give me the strength I need to do it, but I still have to do it, “with fear and trembling”.
By way of comparison, a parent who requires obedience of a child is not requiring them to “climb a ladder to acceptance”. They are requiring obedience, ultimately, to build character in the heart of their child. Perhaps this was TT’s intent, to challenge us to see scripture in light of a loving God building Godly character in his children, but it didn’t come across that way to me. I was left feeling he ignored too much scripture that speaks of “pressing on”, “crucifying the flesh”, “dying to self”, “growing in grace”, etc.
It should be easier, I guess, but some times it is difficult to die to my sinful nature. Some times it would be easier to just do my own thing and live a life that is less than He desires for me – but He calls me to something better, something greater as Furtick would put it. It takes dying on my part. Sometimes striving. Sometimes speaking up when it would be easier to stay silent – sometimes the opposite – but I do have a part in this drama, I am not a prop.
I don’t believe it is “ladder climbing” to read God’s word and see where my life falls short of His best for me. For in reading that same Word, I find His provision and solution. That Christ came to “hang on a cross and rescue us from our efforts to make it on our own” does not relieve us of the responsibility to obey Him. Obedience is critical to developing the character He desires us to possess. It is not about trying to do what only Christ has done for me, it is about obedience to His call and a desire to be like Him, as Paul speaks of in Phillipians 3.
I could use some insight from you on this. Have I misread his blog? Am I reading more into what he said than I should?, less?
I don’t think you’re being difficult Bryan. Because of the title of Tullian’s post, “Is Your Life Defined By A Ladder Or A Cross?” I read it with “is your life defined…” in mind. So with that macro view, the illustration really worked for me. My life is defined by Christ and His work – not by my ladder-climbing ability.
Having read some of Tullian’s books, I get where he’s coming from. He certainly has his slant/emphasis. One of the things I like about his perspective is that he consistently makes Jesus the hero, not us.
I understand how reading this post can leave one wondering about the role of our works in following Jesus. Something I’ve heard Tullian emphasize before is that God doesn’t need our works (because the work Jesus did for us was perfect), but people do. People need us to be patient and kind and gentle and generous… and more like Jesus.
Another author I read recently talked a lot about the theme of death and resurrection. They said, “This isn’t just a one-time thing for us – going from death to life – but it is repeated, often.” She illustrated how God’s work in her causes her to die to her agenda, opinions, prejudices, values, etc. and when she “dies,” there is always life – the kind of life God desires for us. I like this perspective, a lot.
Thanks for your response. I re-read it from the perspective of how my life is defined, and I certainly hope it is not defined by how successful I am at obedience and growth – Jesus has to be my hero, or I am toast.