Youth Convention occupied my time so I did devotions, but didn’t blog.
Day 5: The topic was spiritual warfare, and had a bunch of information that I’m familiar with. It was more of a reminder than a challenge. Finally an area that I didn’t feel totally lacking in. The unreached people were the Zaghawa.
Day 6: I like hard preaching, because it challenges me. I’m not one for a fluffy, encouraging, motivating message; those don’t move me to action. I like difficult, uncomfortable, challenging messages that cause me to rethink something I’ve accepted in my life. That causes change. I know many people respond favorably to other styles, I really respond best to just the one. So when I read day 6’s entry, I laughed out loud at my desk when I read this quote.
“”Do you expect God to wring the self out of you in a painful and lengthy process using circumstance and shattered expectations- and then surprise you with how good it feels to have His image stamped deeply onto yours?”
The short answer is, “No.” I don’t think too many people hold that as the standard expectation when we sign up for following Jesus. I like to pray that God’s will will conform to what I think I want or need. The imagery in that quote is perfect. I want God to wring the self out of me, but that sounds painful, and when you wring something out you repeat the process a bunch of times. And who doesn’t love shattered expectations? I let down pretty easily because I set my expectations so high and then blame myself for the result. But what if God is holding back some results, so I can be shaped and formed the way He wants? Sounds like fun right?
This was probably my favorite day so far. The whole point of “living dead” is to expect to be under-appreciated, and overlooked. It is a humbling process; but in the midst of that, the expectation is also to see God more clearly. To be better connected. To see God move in new ways. It’s been a journey, and week 1 isn’t even through.
Today’s unreached people group was the oppressed and possessed women of Somalia. The story that went with their description illustrates a strong need for the power of God.
Day 7: The Shagiyya sound like an unreached people group I’d like. They’re known to be cunning, and the neighboring tribes have a proverb to describe that. “If you find a snake and a Shagiyya on the road, kill the Shagiyya and leave the snake.” That sounds like my kind of people. It reasons then that they are also known for their business sense.
Today’s challenge is an awful one that I probably need to work on a ton. Unfortunately I’m pretty well known for my witty sarcasm and humor. I really have worked on tempering that over the last few years, but old habits die hard. I have been sarcastic and bitten my fingernails as long as I can remember. Both difficult habits to break, I’ve basically mastered the finger nail biting recently. But controlling my speech… I still have a ways to go.
I wrote down on the challenge page in the live dead journal that I want to become known for being quick, witty, and uplifting. I’ve not seen a model for how to flip the sarcasm to being uplifting while still funny. Someday, maybe I will be the first to work it together. I’m not talking clean humor either. I’m talking about when I would naturally say some jokey sarcastic comment about someone that makes even them laugh at themselves. I want to still be able to do that, while complimenting them. That’s tough stuff. So feel free if you hear me say something negative sarcastic, or something that is tearing someone down, to call me on it. I could probably use the accountability, whether I want it or not 😉
Written by Sean
Topics: Sean's Blog