Reading and My Unabridged, Unedited and Incomplete Thoughts

Mark is reading "Christ-Centered Preaching" by Bryan Chapell. He loves it and commended it to me to begin reading in my myriads-upon-myriads of spare time. So, I began last night, and after the first chapter, I'm hooked. I enjoyed this thought:

"The influence of a preacher's testimony on the acceptance of a sermon requires that one's life be under the rule of Scripture...true character cannot be hidden, although it can be temporarily masked. Character oozes out of us in our messages. Just as people reveal themselves in conversations by their words and mannerisms, we constantly reveal ourselves to others in our preaching. Over time our words choices, topics, examples, and tone unveil our hearts regardless of how well we think we have cordoned off deeper truths from public display. The inside is always on view. People sense more than they can prove by the way we present ourselves in the most indavertant ways."

Loved that last sentence. While I'm not to rest on the way we FEEL about someone/something, it is so often the truth that I cannot identify all of the reasons behind my thinking. But if I raise an accusation or voice a concern, it must be backed up with evidences. Taking it biblical, I can understand why it is so important to God that conclusions never stand on the voice of one person because perception can be tainted by judgment. So, He warns us: "the first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him" (Pr. 18:17), and then throughout the Old Testament, "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed" (Deut. 19:15).

God made provision for the Israelites in the event that one "just had a sense" about another. There always had to be two or three witnesses. I appreciate this, since our senses can inextricably be mingled with our flesh. Yet, I also appreciate that we do not wholly have to disregard our sense about a person. We are able to see things because the heart cannot hide too well, "the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Luke 6:45). So even if there is a sense about a person, but I can't always articulate WHY I think this or that, if it isn't just a sinful judgment, time will allow for me to figure out the biblical reasons for my thoughts. And there is not a danger in giving time to a problem- so that all the dust can settle.

Mark and I are STILL not finished with "The Mother At Home." We are making such poor progress, I think, not just for want of time, but also, because the reading is kind of thick and heady, so it is hard to get through and process it thoroughly very quickly. The first five chapters were also a bit more arresting than the latter half of the book. However, it is still worth reading. It slows a bit, I think, because it is redundant.

In some respects, I've been convinced that Abbott (the author of the book) is an Arminian, because he places a lot of emphasis on the actions of the person. However, knowing a bit more about his history, it seems he was from the puritan congregationalists and did hitch his wagon to strong reformation views.

I am still thinking on a lot of what he says. He cites Proverbs 22:6, "train up a child in the way he should go, even in the end, he will not depart from it." He places such importance on this verse, that I've wondered about heart/behavior models. And I've always had a bit of trouble reconciling this verse with what seems to happen in Christendom. Yet, I can't toss out the verse, believing fully in the authority of scripture. So, I've needed to reconstruct (still working through it) my thinking on Proverbs 22:6, because I wonder if I've done it a disservice in my heart. I think at times, I've looked at the Proverbs like they're just maxims- widely accepted words of wisdom that aren't necessarily water-tight proofs. As if the Proverbs are just hypotheses. I think this was a very dismissal attitude on my part, and I regret it. I need to think of the Proverbs as GENERALLY true, and treat God's wisdom as something that needs to be adhered to and not just a suggestion. That being said, I was going to do my best to "train up my child(ren) in the way he (they) should go," but I think I was resting on the concession that they wouldn't NECESSARILY hold to the latter half of the verse. As if I could relieve myself of the burden so if I make mistakes here and there, it is still within the passive will of God. And still, I believe these things, BUT, the difference is my motivation. Was I giving myself a pass in the event of failure? Was I giving myself a pass so that I could absolve myself of momentary lapses into laziness? What other reason might I have to place such hope in the idea that the Proverb isn't necessarily true at all times? I can't think of one outside of my "loophole" motivations.

So what? Well, ultimately, I think it then becomes really important to view the verse as if EVERY action that I take in parenting (and in life) will have an effect on the spiritual outcome. Nothing I do/think/say is in a vacuum. All of it has implications- the spiritual rippling effect. Obviously, this viewpoint is also full of danger as well. If I viewed everything I did/thought/said as being pivotal in the outcome, then I would diminish the presence/work of the Holy Spirit. So, I guess ultimately, I am to view it like this: My human efforts (rooted only in the strength of Christ and the outworking of the Spirit) are to be at the utmost- so that He might be glorified, yet I rest on His grace, knowing that I will fail and asking Him to work in spite of these consistently displeasing efforts. But for God's grace, all my efforts would condemn me to hell. But because of God's grace, I am called to make efforts that can and should please Him. How the heck does this work in eternity? I don't know. So, with all of my might, seeking to walk humbly before Him, in the Spirit, I will do my best to train up my children in the way they should go, EXPECTING that they will not depart from that path, yet understanding that this expectation is only because of God.

Anyone as confused as me?

Anyway, in our reading last night, I enjoyed this good reminder from the book:

"Teach them to be ever ready to do all in their power to make others happy. When with their brothers and sisters, or with their associates at school, they must be ever ready in all things to relinquish their own plans to gratify others...Teach them to relinquish their own preference, for the choice of others. So in everything in which it is not wrong to yield, teach them to give up their own wishes, that they may gratify others. We must be careful, however, that this amiable and yielding disposition does not degenerate into indecision and fickle-mindedness. We are never to yield in the least degree where it is wrong to do so. Whatever we think to be our duty, that we must mildly and kindly, but firmly resolve to do, at all hazards. We must not say, 'It is a little sin, and I will indulge in it to gratify others.' Remember that the time is near when we must appear before God's bar; and he will not deem it an excuse for displeasing him, that we did it to please our friends or associates. These temptations we must resist; and God exposes us to them that by resistance we may strengthen in our hearts the principle of obedience to him."