Wednesday, April 2, 2008

How is That Working for You? Losing Faith III

I met Dr. Joseph Tson years ago in Romania. I had never met someone who had suffered so much for Christ. John Piper (A Godward Life) tells a story about Dr. Tson.

Communist officials were searching Tson's house, in process of taking all his books. Because the soldiers needed proof they had taken his books, they took pictures of him signing each one.

At one point during the tense ordeal Dr. Tson signed a book titled Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory: Is This Your Experience Now? He asked himself that question on the spot. At that point the Holy Spirit overwhelmed him with joy. The change was so profound that he told his wife to get these soldiers some coffee, and he was freed from his anger and fear (Piper's words).

Most Things Don't Work, might be an uncomfortable overstatement. How is being a Christ follower working for you?

Break through often comes one page after faith seems not to work. Our self-love and our ability to control outcomes is often confused with authentic faith in Christ. Faith is what is real when you don't love yourself so much or feel so smart. Authentic faith is from God, not us.

Confusing God's control with my control is easy to do. When outcomes do not come out right (the Friday before Easter) there is no place to go. At that point the Jesus we are following dies. But hang out at the tomb. Something better is on the way. On the next page.

Columbia and Rock Hill today. Great day with Eric Geiger and 80 of my friends yesterday at River Springs.

1 comment:

Steve said...

True. Thanks for the reminder that my self-faith is not the real kind that only God gives.