"God uses our suffering to wean us from self-reliance and cast us on himself alone."
Piper, Desiring God, p. 222
So, when I am entering an especially difficult time in my personal life, I must ask myself, "Have I become too self-reliant? Is God attempting to get my attention away from myself and on to him? Why am I trying to handle this myself?"
And when I am in the throes on such a turmultous set of rapids, I must ask myself, "Who has the strength that I need? Am I clinging onto the paddle too tightly, steering us right into the rosks that I want to avoid? Do I need to pray instead of panic now?"
And finally, as I come out into the calm waters below the raging river run, I must ask myself, "How could I have allowed to have more control in that ride? How much better would it have been if I had given him more of the rudder? Did I handle that set of rapids with better skill than the last set (ie did I allow God to have more control)? Am I more confident in my abilities now or God's? Have I praised him for his abundant power, wisdom, care, and control -- after all he did bring you through safely!"
As I tell the story of my extreme experience of suffering, who looks like the hero? Me? or God? Does God get the spotlight or the footnote in the telling of my tale? Am I more or less dependent on Him now than I was upriver?
I want to suffer calmly, knowing that the captain of my ship is not me!
"This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in self and the world."And when I am in the throes on such a turmultous set of rapids, I must ask myself, "Who has the strength that I need? Am I clinging onto the paddle too tightly, steering us right into the rosks that I want to avoid? Do I need to pray instead of panic now?"
And finally, as I come out into the calm waters below the raging river run, I must ask myself, "How could I have allowed to have more control in that ride? How much better would it have been if I had given him more of the rudder? Did I handle that set of rapids with better skill than the last set (ie did I allow God to have more control)? Am I more confident in my abilities now or God's? Have I praised him for his abundant power, wisdom, care, and control -- after all he did bring you through safely!"
As I tell the story of my extreme experience of suffering, who looks like the hero? Me? or God? Does God get the spotlight or the footnote in the telling of my tale? Am I more or less dependent on Him now than I was upriver?
I want to suffer calmly, knowing that the captain of my ship is not me!
Piper, Desiring God, p. 222
Riding the rapids, learning the lessons, praising the pilot,
Mike
Riding the rapids, learning the lessons, praising the pilot,
Mike
2 comments:
Wow, I am right in the middle of the rapids currently. I used to be a kayaker and the reason that I quit was because there were moments when I didn't feel like I was in control, and I didn't like that feeling. Maybe I like to be in control of my life too much as well. I just need to relax and let the Guide control where the boat is headed.
R U wet yet?
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