Rudder & Bit

Gone

natejelovich — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:42:24 -0700

It’s been nearly a year since I started this blog. I did so as an exercise to try and write something everyday that I was thinking about or God was teaching me.

I’m going out of town for a few days and probably won’t be writing like this. Also, I’m currently re-evaluating this blog and whether or not I’ll continue with it when I return is yet to be determined. I might try and do something else instead.

Because of that I wanted to give you who read the heads up.

In any case, I also want to say thanks to all of you who have or do read and enjoy this blog and what I write. I really appreciate it.

It’s always a bit strange when someone in the real world tells me they read (and sometimes even like) what I write in the virtual world. But that’s because of my general awkwardness, not because I don’t appreciate the kind words. If even forced. Because you have to say that kind of thing.

In any case, thank you for reading and being part of this little experience.

Nate

Unnatural grace

natejelovich — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:03:00 -0700

Grace is so foreign to us as fallen sinners, you might even call it unnatural. Whether extending or receiving, true Grace is not something I think we can fully grasp in this life.

Grace is freely giving good to another with no expectation to receive in return. But more than that, true Grace is given while the other hates and curses you.

Giving for any reason that benefits yourself is not true Grace. But this is what I think is hardest for us to understand.

The Fall makes self the center of everything. Even good things.

It’s impossible to see beyond ourself. Until we look to Christ.

Paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 12

natejelovich — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:04:58 -0700

Even the

difficult
painful
frustrating
disastrous
sucky

things in life are an opportunity to praise God knowing His grace is sufficient, His power is perfected in our weakness, and the hardships endured are a blessing to keep us from becoming self-reliant.

It’s not easy. But it is better.

Rather than worry in our weakness, we get to trust in the midst of them knowing we got nothing.

The conflict gospel

natejelovich — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:55:22 -0700

Loving someone isn’t about avoiding conflict.

Often times, trying to justify ourselves by saying things like “I don’t want to make them angry” is nothing more than manipulation so we can passively ignore the problem.

You’re right, it’s not about fighting with the person. It’s about fighting for the person. It’s easier to fight with them but far better to fight for them.

Christ came to not only rescue lost sinners, but to also bring the sword to put to death our own wills. Only then do we truly find life.

Your Bible study group is crap

natejelovich — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:58:23 -0700

Religious duties can be just as addicting as any other substance or activity that offers an escape from reality.

Whether it’s the praise of others or the sense of comfort achieved, it’s easy to hide behind the curtain of religion where everything is fine, I’ve got it under control thank you very much!

If it’s the activity that gives your life purpose, value, meaning, or worth, it’s no different than one finding their identity in any other form of achievement or activity, secular or otherwise. You’ve just spiritualized it.

It's easier to push

natejelovich — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:56:08 -0700

We often settle for behavior change merely because it’s easier. It’s not always easier actually change one’s behavior, but we have gotten good at incrementally affecting it.

But that’s not change, that’s just managing it.

When push comes to shove, anyone can sacrifice a bull, or give money, or serve, or behave properly, or know theology, or do any number of other things related to the Christian lifestyle. The real difficulty is getting to that point without the pushing or shoving.

If you focus on just changing behavior, that’s all you’ll do. Go for the heart and everything changes.

You might be proud

natejelovich — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:50:35 -0700

…if you spend more time talking about all the theology you know and no time talking about all the sin you commit.

The only thing you’re proving is that you know all the right answers, not what you really believe.

It’s good to remember humility is praised far above knowing all the theological intricacies of Biblical doctrine.

The mark of a mature Christian isn’t how many times they’ve read through the Bible or the depth of their theological knowledge, but how quickly they recognize, regret, and repent of their sin.

Riding the storm in the middle

natejelovich — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:56:59 -0700

Often times it feels like we are stuck in the middle of an ever expanding rubberband stretched to its capacity. Pulled any longer and it will simply, suddenly, violently, break.

On one side we are told to ignore everything and do nothing. On the other is worry. Or, freakout. Or, take things into your own hands and do whatever you can to make things right.

Choosing neither though is like trying to sleep on a boat in the middle of a ravenous sea storm.

But with Christ, I guess that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do. We can rest knowing, like everything else, He’s got this too.

Never by chance

natejelovich — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:10:30 -0700

It is important to remember that no one arrives at their convictions by mere chance. Even a child, in as much as they are able, uses reason to deduce that which he believes. Usually this comes from the culture which they were raised in and whether they believe what that culture says is true or false.

A person’s beliefs are never as simple as the other side would have you believe.

The powerlessness of positive thinking

natejelovich — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:59:44 -0700

I am reminded again how easy, and almost natural it is, when faced or presented with suffering in our own life or others, to first remember all the good things you’ve been given and to be thankful for those. In other words, count your blessings.

And though this is not, of course, in and of itself wrong, it’s often done as a sort of coping mechanism to help with the pain caused by suffering by forcing you to remember you don’t have it so bad, or it could be worse.

Be thankful, yes. Remember God’s faithfulness, yes. Rely on the power of positive thinking to offer lasting comfort? Never.

We’re told to rejoice in our weaknesses and sufferings, we’re not told to remember all the good things we have.

That way leads to guilt, shame, and condemnation. Turning to Christ leads to hope.

Hardly hiding our demands

natejelovich — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:01:50 -0700

We’ve gotten good at hiding the fact that we demand from God. So much so that we can even convince ourselves we don’t do that!

But we do. We just veil them in feelings and emotions.

Those aren’t wrong, right? Right. Unless you use them to excuse and continue in your sin.

But it’s an inadequate covering. One we only trick ourselves into believing works. The equivalent of covering your eyes with your hands for easy laughs.

To be sure, we demand from God, we just call it something different. You might call it being frustrated, or tired, or something else all together, but what you’re really saying is you don’t know what you’re doing God!

We’re really not much different than the Israelites in the wilderness grumbling against the one who just delivered them.

Not imagined

natejelovich — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:10:20 -0700

I am convinced the closer you are to the holiness of God, the more messed up you realize you are.

Many people seem to think the opposite. If not actually, at least practically. That growing in holiness, through sanctification and discipline, you can achieve some sort of upper tier of goodness or righteousness. Yes, there’s still a battle between spirit and flesh, you might say, but all things considered, I’m doing pretty well.

Nonsense.

The only thing you have proved is your ability to convince yourself you can reach some sort of perfection apart from the covering of Christ. That you’d rather not need a savior, thank you, I’m doing fine.

The truth is, left to our own devices, we are not merely far worse than we could imagine for we know the capabilities of our heart’s wickedness. And we even often imagine it! We are just far worse than we’d like to admit, let alone believe.

Forever past

natejelovich — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:15:58 -0700

Discouragement is only present in the absence of hope.

It’s not about happiness.

Hope looks forward while all bitterness and discouragement remain stuck in the past, unable to progress. It might be easier and feel better to choose discouragement, but you’ve already made up your mind how your life will be defined.

Wants and desires

natejelovich — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:50:46 -0700

Sometimes you have to do what you don’t necessarily want to do, or you may say feel like doing, in that moment in order to do what you ultimately desire.

Simply doing what you want can often derail you from getting to what you really desire.

If you try to get to know God based only on how much you want to or feel like in that moment, you’ll often find you won’t get very far for you’ll convince yourself you’d rather do something else.

Often times we must look past what we want to do and instead look at what we ultimately desire in order to do anything meaningful at all.

Christ didn’t want to go to the cross. But he desired to do The Father’s will. We are often far too easily deceived and distracted by our emotions. Never trust them.

Idol satisfaction

natejelovich — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:46:58 -0700

Idolatry is choosing anything other than God for what only He can satisfy and fulfill.

These can be relatively good things or very bad things. Either way they become deadly things when chosen above Christ.

Idols promise salvation from temporal pain on this earth but have no power to ultimately save.

The question then is, what are you trying to avoid or what are you looking to for temporal satisfaction?

Good things gone bad

natejelovich — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:22:00 -0700

Even Bible studies, prayer, fellowship, and the like can become nothing more than idol worship. Often worship of a method. Usually, worship of self.

If these don’t lead to a greater understanding of Jesus, who he is, what he’s done, how he’s changed, and changing, you and others, making you more like him, your reasons for doing so fall outside the worship of Christ.

Even good things can become horrible things when done to satisfy the self.

The subtlety of a sigh

natejelovich — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:09:32 -0700

Even the way we breathe can be an indication of our heart’s true sinfulness.

The simplicity of a sigh can reveal the subtle demands we require others and ultimately God to fulfill.

Whether it’s an affront to our comfort or desire for control, the frustrated sigh is akin to raising the draw bridge on our kingdom under attack.

Less eternal

natejelovich — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:06:12 -0700

We are deceived into thinking that earthly pleasures can ultimately satisfy.

But like a cup too small to quench, or an experience too short to enjoy, we know it won’t last.

But it’s not that our desire for joy or pleasure is wrong.

It’s that Eternal pleasures are found in Eternal things. Far beyond all earthly counterfeits.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Conversion and sanctification

natejelovich — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:50:00 -0700

Sin has lost its power; it must also lose its appeal.

God box

natejelovich — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:58:38 -0700

If your automatic response to conflict or a difficult situation is just to “pray about it” I’d question whether or not you really want to see the situation change, or if you’re simply looking to passively ignore it while still being able to check the God box on the list of attempted fixes.

Praying about it is good. Asking for the Spirit to make you more like Christ is far better.