Looking Unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)

The other day I read something which excited me because it tied in so well with the things about Christ that I have been learning and writing about. I also read it not long after reading Kirst's post on 'Striving for Perfection' and it seemed to fit nicely with that. Maybe others won't find it exciting, but I just love it when I read and hear things that all tie up and give similar messages, all in a short space of time. I have felt that over this summer God has tied up for me all the things I've heard and read, and confirmed all the things I'm learning are definitely from Him and what He wants me to hear about at the moment.

This extract is from C H Spurgeon's Morning and Evening daily readings (archaic language I'm afraid!):

"It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, 'Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.' All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that 'Christ is all in all'. Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee - it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find hppiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by 'looking unto Jesus'. Keep thine eyes simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee."

Amen!

Desiring Christ (2)

Following on from earlier, I was thinking about how hard it is to portray Christ as desirable to others around us who don't know him. A girl at camp told me she has no desire for God (which I didn't believe but that's another story!). It was clear that nothing I could say would give her a desire for God. It really needed the Spirit to move in her and point her to the desirableness of Jesus. It was obvious on camp that we couldn't make any of these young people desire Christ in our own strength - we can only pray that God will use our words and open their eyes.

Then today at work, I just didn't know where to start with a colleague. First, she used the name of Christ as a swear word, which she does frequently. This always pierces through me but did even more so after being at camp with a wonderful godly team who really loved Jesus. I didn't say anything (I never do) but it made the hymn come to mind "How Sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear" and also the song which says, "Your name is like honey on my lips". Even the name of Jesus should be so precious to a Christian - to hear his name is lovely - except when used as a swear word. I wished I had said something. I always wish I'd said something.

Later on this same colleague was talking about some friends of hers who have gone through a lot of suffering. She was wondering how they could possibly deserve it all, how the world is so cruel, and that's why she doesn't think she could ever have faith in a god - he must be such a cruel god to pick on a family like them. My mind just started to race and fumble around for something to say. This colleague can be scary and I am quite intimidated by her. We've had a few conversations about God, but I've never shared the gospel with her. It's hard to get anywhere with her because she's very strong with her views. I started to mumble something, asking God for some major help(!) when her mobile went and she walked off! Part of me felt like I'd been saved by the bell(!), but at the same time I was disappointed that the opportunity had gone.

I've been thinking about what I would have said if her phone hadn't rung. I think it would have been a really tough conversation. I can see where she was coming from, what made her think that way. When my Dad died I thought it was wonderful to know God and was able to trust in His plan etc etc. But how could I make Christ seem desirable to someone like my colleague, who just thinks if God exists he must be cruel and picks on people? It's making me see even more how much we need God to open people's eyes. There's so much I could have said, but it probably would have wound her up in all honesty. She needs to hear about Jesus and have a desire for him. I think when we witness we need to constantly point people to Christ. I don't know how I could ever make this particular colleague believe in God, and I don't know how I could ever answer all her questions. It IS so hard when it seems one family cops more than the rest of us. So I'd like to be able to just tell her about Christ. I'm not diminishing her questions - I do believe it is important for people to question and explore and I believe that for many people answers to questions is what they require. But no amount of answered questions will ever help them if they don't also have a desire to know Jesus. So I think I might change the way I pray for my colleagues and friends, as well as for myself - that they too would desire Christ, and that somehow, if I am to get in to conversation with some of them, that God will help me to point them to him.

Desiring Christ

I haven't written for a while because it's been a busy summer with one thing and another. I have learnt a great deal spiritually from going to the Keswick Convention and also a youth camp that Dan and I helped on. They were both wonderful and I really have been challenged. I haven't had chance to process and think everything through yet because - as is always the case with me - I have come home and the busy-ness of general life has taken over. Why does it always happen like that?

However, on Sunday I was talking to our pastor's wife and she said something that has really made me think, perhaps more than any of the challenges that I've had over the summer, and may also help me to process those challenges. She was talking about a girl who came to know the Lord last week. This girl had tried to become a Christian many times in the midst of many personal problems. Nothing had ever changed for her and she always knew that she still wasn't a Christian. So my pastor's wife asked her what was different this time, and she replied that this time she just desired Christ.

Just desiring Christ - that's what it's all about. I wondered if I had ever just desired Christ. It made me think that perhaps when I go on these conferences and camps I am challenged and as a result I desire many things - to be a better Christian, to know more, to pray harder, to read my Bible more, to develop more of the fruits of the Spirit - all very good desires and I'll keep desiring them! But...where do I desire Christ in all of this? Do I desire him above all these things? And I thought, that if my focus was on him, and I started to desire him more, then all of these things would naturally begin to follow. I don't know what other people think, but it did challenge me. I think that instead of trying to process the masses of information that I've been fed this summer, I need to just spend some time with Jesus, and read about him in the gospels, and get to know him better. It's the only way of becoming more like him. So I've been challenged by a brand new baby Christian who has seen that Jesus is the most precious thing we should desire above all else!