Day: August 25, 2009

This one says it

I’m not a big fan of poetry in general. In fact, I’m so much not a fan that when I read a book in which the author quotes some poetry, I’m most often apt to actually skip over it because of how much it feels to me a complete waste of my time to figure it out.
But every once in a while, someone actually says something deep and heartfelt in verse, that speaks words I want to say. Such is the case of the old worship hymn, “Come Thou Fount,” and this verse of it, that says things we usually wouldn’t dare share about ourselves, and yet they are all too true:

“Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be;
Let Your goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to Thee;
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it;
Seal it for Your courts above.”

A joke that makes a good point on atheism

An elementary school teacher explained to her class of young children that she was an “atheist.” She asked her class if they were atheists too. Not really knowing what “atheism” was but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands went flying into the air. There was, however, one exception. A girl named Lucy had not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asked her why she decided to be different. Lucy said, “Because I’m not an atheist.” The teacher then asked, “What are you?” Lucy said, “I’m a Christian.” She asked Lucy why she was a Christian. “Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am a Christian.” The teacher angrily said, “That’s no reason! What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron? What would you be then?” Lucy paused, thought about it and said, “Then, I’d be an atheist.”

For what will I stand?

There are many things in this world a man could take a stand and fight for: a political party, a philosophy, his own rights and the rights of others to be free. The list goes on, and even contains wicked things, such as those who fight for false belief systems: atheism, islam, vaticanism and the teachings of various cults. Still others stand and fight for public acceptance of sin itself–homosexuality, abortion, pornography, and other immoralities. While others expend their energies fighting against those sins.
Every man who makes a difference, good or bad, in the world, is a man who takes a strong stand for something. And I’ve been asking myself lately how to choose my battles wisely so to be standing for what is really worthy of the fight.
My conclusion is this. I won’t fight for myself, for my rights, for my political philosophy, or for other temporal things anymore. When a battle rises up against me personally, I will, by the grace of God, let Him take up the fight in my place. I’ve learned that as long as I refuse to fight in my own defense, He does not refuse to do so; and He never knows defeat.
But what will I stand for?
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.”
That gospel and the word of God. That is what my energies will be spent fighting for; and false teachings that lead people away from salvation, even if they do so by leading them to religion, will be what I stand against. I’m withdrawing from now on from the political battles of this life that do not affect the spiritual battle.
But for the gospel, I do contend, and will contend to the very end–even if that end be hastened by my contention.
Then my life will have been worth living.