Jared Brown

If you’ve talked to me over the past week you have probably heard me say something about this book I am reading; The Supremacy of God in Preaching.  There is this quote in there that has had me really thinking the last few days and so thought I’d share.

“It’s now part of our nature.  We take the mirror of God’s image, which was intended to reflect his glory in the world, and turn our back to the light, and fall in love with the contours of our own dark shadow, trying desperately to convince ourselves (with technological advance or management skills or athletic skills or academic achievements or sexual exploits or counterculture hair styles) that the dark shadow of the image on the ground in front of us is really glorious and satisfying.  And in our proud love affair with ourselves, we pour contempt (whether we know it or not!) on the worth of God’s glory.  And as our pride pours contempt upon God’s glory, his righteousness obliges him to pour wrath upon our pride.”

I find that many times we trade God’s infinite glory for our own shadows. We have traded the creator for creation and try to make creation infinitely glorious and infinitely satisfying.  We have looked up at God, who is all satisfying, giver of life, redeemer, loving, kind, merciful, gracious, life sustainer and spat at him by then turning and looking down at our shadow, merely an image with no real form or essence and say I choose this.  I want myself.

Conviction has laid heavy on me cause I look at my life and say God, wow forgive me for how many times I have chosen everything but you.  The beauty of all this is I do not have to earn anything and I can’t make God want me or love me.  He does that on his own accord.  Through God’s grace and mercy I have had my eyes open to how my “shadow” draws me in.

As a christian who is reading this, have you ever had the feeling that God was calling you to something like church planting domestically or internationally (I’m here), or a job, or a school to attend, maybe it’s seminary(this is me too), or even furthering your education(this is also me), or a church to join, or maybe even how to reach people, maybe it’s what is next in your life (here too),  and instead of stopping and seeking God you go straight ahead into planning and figuring it out for yourself?  I do this more times then not.  I think “oh yea God is leading, now let me just go and do it”.  I focus on me “my shadow in front of me”.  I am not trying to do bad stuff or go against God but I take my focus and gaze off him and rely on myself.  How i hope and pray that you and I would no longer go with what we think is best or what our friends think would be great, or what our parents want for us, or what the culture says even church culture, but would we bask in the presence of God, in his glory, and seek him for direction.  I think that wise counsel is a great thing and needed so please do not be a person on an island, but be wise in not elevating mans sometimes selfish council over God’s wisdom.  I know, I know how do we discern this? How do we know if someone is giving us good advice?  How can I trust what someone is saying is Godly and not selfish?  This is where I would say I am still learning this too but what I do know is we need to pause and in our frantic seeking, stop, pray, fast and seek God, asking for his discernment and guidance and that clarity would be set before us. Peace will come.  Peace doesn’t always mean Oh I know what I am doing 100% now and that I have no worries or questions, but it does mean in the midst of uncertainty and searching I have a confidence that my God will hold me stead fast and not fail.

(I quote Romans a bunch so for those of you who know me just laugh again that I am using it once again, but see the richness now of what it says…)

Romans 11:33-12:2

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable are hi ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor, or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

How wonderful that there is no one who can say they have counseled God?  May we rest in his mercies and trust in his sovereignty to guide us and lead us, finding peace, and in doing so may we pray for direction, pray and seek godly counsel from those around us and then may we boldly run for Christ so that when those around us see they stand in awe of the glory of God.  May we never trade glory for shadows.