The quiet hum

“And with all the traffic raging around you, I pray that you will hear only the quiet hum.”- Matt Bays

Chapter 17 (“The Quiet Hum- My Life for the Glory of God”) is the concluding chapter of Finding God in the Ruins.  Matt Bays asserts that at times it is appropriate- and even right- to doubt God’s existence or involvement in our lives.  Blindly ignoring the effect of painful events on our faith does not make us more faithful, Pastor Bays notes.

If our faith is ever going to mature from adolescence to adulthood, doubt is a necessary part of our journey.  Matt states that “when we  . . . embrace our doubt, we are often propelled forward, closer to God than we ever though possible.”

Shelving the trials we have faced does not allow God to use them for the good of others.  By denying others access to our stories, we are living out the bystander effect- minimizing our involvement.  We fail to acknowledge how our pain could set someone else free. By listening to God’s quiet hum, we can assume the burden of responsibility.  Matt offers these encouraging words:

“Because of your strength to step up to the plate, because of your courage to stand alone and honor the pain, because of your willingness to carry the burden of responsibility, the chances that others will be rescued has just increased dramatically.”

Today’s question (from Matt): Take a moment to think about whether God’s love has become greater than your pain, despair, or unanswered prayer.  Is what you’ve been through worth what you’ve gained as a result?  Would you say you pain has been redeemed, or is still in the process of being redeemed?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the Annotated Bibliography of Finding God in the Ruins

 

The quiet hum

A tiny dirt road

“And if we want life that isn’t driven by our past hurts, we must squeeze ourselves onto a tiny dirt road and trust that it will lead us somewhere good.”- Matt Bays

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”- Matthew 7:14 (NIV)

In Chapters 2 (“One-sided Prayers- It’s Not Adding Up”) and 3 (“The Chain- Kicking God Out of Your Life”) of Finding God in the Ruins, Matt Bays addresses not feeling the need to protect God’s reputation and eradicating inaccurate perceptions of God from your life.

Matt voices his concern about people who resist an honest doubt or two.  Pastor Bays believes unexpressed doubt can be toxic.  Matt was drawn to finding real answers to life’s most powerful questions.

Even as a young boy, Matt realized that a part of him already loved God, although he couldn’t explain how or even why.  At eight years old, Matt said God “occupied an easy chair inside me.”  But Matt was unable to reconcile experiences at home with this loving God in an easy chair.

Pastor Bays describes his stepdad as on for whom sin would “continue to be a full-contact sport.”  Matt carried many caustic memories with him for almost thirty years.

Alcohol became his “worthless idol.”  He needed a life that wasn’t driven by past hurts, to squeeze himself on a tiny dirt road- being redeemed by finding God in the ruins.  He needed to start from scratch in his relationship with God.

Today’s question: What Scriptures have helped you return to the tiny dirt road?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Worthless idols”

 

A tiny dirt road

The filled life

“Don’t settle for the full life- go after the filled life.”- Kyle Idleman

Still another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.”- Luke 14:20

Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 5 of The End of Me by discussing the third guest to decline the banquet invitation. Pastor Idleman quips that this guest might be the hardest to criticize.  A slap on the back and congratulations might seem to be more in order.

The message many love songs and romantic movies convey is simple: the right partner will fill your emptiness.  Kyle cautions that idea causes many people to enter a relationship or marriage with a huge and false expectation- that another human being can fulfill you for the rest of your life= “You complete me.”

When the honeymoon is over, feelings of doubt or discontent may set in.  It is in those moments of grappling with doubt that the thought of God flickers in our heads.  Kyle says it is Jesus inviting us to the banquet.  Pastor Idleman summarizes Jesus’ message in this parable:

“Stuff.  Activity.  Romance.  And there could be others.  What would be your most likely reason for walking away.  What takes up space in your life that’s meant for God?”

Over a century ago evangelist Dwight L. Moody commented on making room for the Holy Spirit:

“. . . I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else.  Before we pray that God will fill us, I believe we ought to pray that He would empty us.”

Today’s question (from Kyle): What takes up space in your life that’s meant for God?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Helpless to be empowered”

The filled life

White noise

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”- Matthew 5:44-45

In Chapter 1 of How Can I Possibly Forgive?, Sara Horn notes that Jesus talks about forgiveness in the context of prayer, a reminder that forgiving is only part of the process.  We also need to pray for those who hurt.

To truly appreciate God’s unconditional love for us, we need a better understanding of forgiveness.  Sara believes this better understanding will happen when we begin listening- to ourselves, to others, and to God.  To be good listeners, we must identify the white noise of bitterness, frustration, and self-doubt that drowns out what the Lord wants us to hear.  As Sara states: “What distracts our hearts distracts our souls.”

Sara asks if we can identify white N-O-I-S-Es in our life.  “N” is discussed today.

1.  Negative Self-Talk.  Sara emphasizes that the negative statements we allow to penetrate our hearts are more than statements- they are lies.  This negative stance, Sara points out, has far-reaching consequences:

“When you believe that nothing can ever change in yourself or others, you will never see the importance of forgiving yourself or somebody else.”

Today’s question: What negative thoughts have penetrated your heart following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The foundation of walls”

 

White noise