So, lately I have been reading “Waking the Dead” by John Eldredge and I came to a section the other day that really made me stop and think. He was talking about how a lot of Christians do all these THINGS in attempts to get closer to God; taking classes on church doctrine, marriage, family, finances, etc, etc…and while all of these things are GOOD, they are for the most part principles-teaching us how to better live our lives. He in talking about these things states, ” A program like this-does it teach a person how to apply principles, or how to walk with God? They are not the same thing.” I never really thought about this before…how much closer we can get to the Father just by WALKING with God! I don’t really know how else to say what I am thinking, so I think the best way to put my thoughts on paper is to copy what John Eldredge continues with in the next couple paragraphs:
“You might recall the old proverb: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ The same holds true here. Teach a man a rule and you help him solve a problem; teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life. Truth be told, you couldn’t master enough principles to see you safely through this Story. There are too many surprises, ambiguities, exceptions to the rule. Things are hard at work–is it time to make a move? What has God called you to do with your life? Things are hard at home–is this just a phase your son is going through, or should you be more concerned? You can’t seem to shake this depression–is it medical or something darker? What does the future hold for you–and how should you respond?
Only by walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life. That is what it means to be a disciple. After all–aren’t we ‘followers of Christ’? Then by all means, let’s actually follow him. Not ideas of him. Not just his principles. Him.”
Only by walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life. That is what it means to be a disciple. After all–aren’t we ‘followers of Christ’? Then by all means, let’s actually follow him. Not ideas of him. Not just his principles. Him.”
~John Eldredge, “Waking the Dead”
I guess this really hit home with me because I know I am preparing for the World Race in July…I guess I never really thought about the difference between learning and applying principles being different than walking with God….
