I left off yesterday with discussing the truth of chapter 2 within Recovering Redemption and hope it was helpful. Chapter 4 entitled "Struggling Well" was another helpful chapter to me personally. I think the overall concept itself to some sounds strange. How can we struggle well? But as the book points out its possible through the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the overall thesis within that chapter was God's design for the believer's life is not to be without or get past struggle in life but with his power learn to get through it well. Selfishly we all would probably like to go around the block of struggle but in God's plan its normally to drive straight through it. And that's how He develops us. Another really helpful concept within this part of the book was the idea that both Christians and non-Christians will have struggle in life. Therefore no life struggle is not what defines us as believers. Instead its how we process through that struggle with the power of the gospel that sets us apart as Christians.
Skipping ahead to chapter 8 on Fear and Anxiety is what I'd like to do next. Not that there wasn't good stuff in the other chapters but just because this was a strong chapter. Matt opens with the struggle of his bout with cancer and thus has instant credibility with us as the readers. No one is going to argue with that story. Having never dealt with a struggle of this magnitude I wondered how applicable it was to me. But as I continued to read it hit me that in the depth of who we are we all struggle with fear and anxiety at some level. And how that manifests itself is different in all of us. The last part of the chapter was particularly strong in my opinion. Here is where Matt admits the struggle we all have and leaves us with one strong piece of wisdom as he writes "The worst thing you can do with fear and anxiety is to pretend you're too strong to have them. The best thing you can do is just let Him be in charge of them." I think in the culture I've grown up around this statement would rub some I know the wrong way. Because as a men especially we've been wired to just thicken our skin up and act like we got it. There is freedom and healing in learning that we actually don't. I would also throw out one caution here to consider. I think the pendulum might be starting to swing to far in the other direction too. Where now we are so open about our hang ups, fears and anxiety it almost works against us in a way to stop pursuing sanctification. I'm not voting for less transparency about our shortcomings. Never would I vote that way. But I believe it's vital that in the midst of our open confession about our shortcomings we work toward gospel living too and not just settle on confession. Confession is the beginning of the redemption process not an end.
Chapter 10 "Go in Peace" may have been for me the most convicting chapter overall. It talked a lot about relational reconciliation and how the gospel bears light on how to do that and the need to that. I know there is some of this needing to happen in my life and its hard to just honestly do it. Regardless though I pray for an opportunity to do it and to see God be given glory through the process. And as a result of reading this chapter I would challenge anyone else reading this post who knows there is someone in their life they need to reconcile with but haven't needs to figure out a way to just do it.
Finally wanted to share one block quote from chapter 11 that I will conclude this review with is as I believe its remarkably powerful. "Being baptized somewhere as a kid, but then showing no transformation of life, no willingness to walk in obedience to God, no acceptance of a greater authority than the autonomous tyrant of their own will, and yet still expecting to be hailed as a Christian - we would never apply that kind of logic to any other realm of life and consider it normal. " I am a big coffee drinker, except I hate the way it smells, and especially the way it tastes. I love my family, but I'd rather spend time with anybody else but them. I've always been a huge, huge Mets fan. That's baseball right?" Ludicrous." Chandler nails here it on the head. And there are those who apply this logic to themselves. May the grace and mercy of God wake you up inside to stop fooling yourself.
Do I recommend the book ? Highly. Its worth the read and consideration and probably worth a re-read to be perfectly honest. Through the gospel change is possible. And that is good news.
No comments:
Post a Comment