Enthusiasm for the King

Inside the Mind:

As we seek to find out why, with such millions of Christians, the real army of God that is fighting the hosts of darkness is so small, the only answer is – lack of heart. The enthusiasm of the kingdom is missing. And that is because there is so little enthusiasm for the King. – Andrew Murray in Key to the Missionary Problem

I came across this statement and believe it to be so true in the lives of Christians today. Why is it so hard to fight for joy in Christ? Why is it so hard to share the gospel with my friends? Why is it so hard to feel enthusiastic about missions? Why is it so hard to be on the front lines in God’s army? Sometimes I find myself waiting and waiting for some sort of a spark that will get me going or a light to turn on in my head that will show me what to do. Over the past year, I have learned life is not just about sparks or lights but about knowing our King. Oftentimes we find ourselves losing enthusiasm for the battle because we have lost sight of our King. We begin to feel we are on our own. We do not see an end so we settle down and make ourselves comfortable with what we have around us. We cease to exist as sojourners and become settlers. After we become comfortable, we trick ourselves into thinking there is no real battle going on and try living our own lives apart from the battle. We then wonder what has happened to our zeal for Christ.

I have learned that a deep knowledge of God is extremely vital in my relationship with Him. I must know of His faithfulness and grace so that I am empowered. I must know of His sacrificial gift so I feel redeemed. I must accept His hope so I can see the end. Not only is it vital to know these things, but it is vital to be continually drenched by them – they need to be continually at the forefront of our mind. We may know of God’s faithfulness, but, when the battle arrives at our doorstep, the only thing that will keep us from cowering in the corner is the truth of God’s faithfulness at the forefront of our minds. Furthermore, we will only remove ourselves from our settlements when God’s empowering grace is so ingrained in our mind that we trust completely in His provision and protection during the battle and actually act on our faith and knowledge without even thinking about it.

In order to have God’s truths ingrained in our minds and in order to know Him better, we must study God’s word regularly and memorize it continually. Until recently, I was of the mind that studying the Bible was sufficient enough to renew my mind. Now, I have seen the power of memorization and have committed to memorizing the whole chapter of Matthew 6 followed by many other chapters as a part of my quiet time. I hope and pray that many will see this same importance and join me in my goal of Bible memorization. In John Piper’s book When I Don’t Desire God, he quotes Dallas Willard:

Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our mind with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.

Once we have the Word of God in our mind and on our lips by studying and memorization, we will not be satisfied with the pitiful comforts of our surroundings, but will look with joy to Christ and all he has to offer us. We will not settle down but continue to actively participate on the front lines in God’s army. Our joy in Christ will overflow into a passion for missions as we seek to spread that same joy we have. We will be enthusiastic for the Kingdom because our knowledge of the King will be ingrained into our minds and will become a part of how we live. It all comes down to how much we know our God.

Refined Glory

Inside the Mind:

He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,
As He watched by the precious ore.
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test
And He wanted the finest gold,
To mold as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems of price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Though we fain would have said Him, "Nay."
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
As it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright
And our eyes were so dim with tears,
As we saw the fire, not the Master's hand,
And questioned with anxious fear.
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
As it mirrored a Form above,
That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us
With a look of infinite love.
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause a moment of pain?
Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.
So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
Than was needed to make it pure!

- Author Unknown

I have heard this gold analogy of the Christian life many times but am still amazed and encouraged every time it pops up in my reading. We might be happy and content just making it through life as a lump of rock, but we often forget that God has called us to a higher purpose – one that requires not a lump of rock, but a unit of pure, refined gold. When we are buried under the discouragement of trials, the fears of the unknown arise in our hearts and we are lured into doubting the sovereign plan of God. All we can see is the fire melting us away. We begin to wonder: How could this be in God’s plan? It doesn’t make sense! I don’t see how this could further His kingdom! It’s not right!

Although all we could see is the fire, we must remember that our God is a loving God and has a plan for us far beyond what we could ever imagine. It does not please Him to see us struggle through trials, but the trials must take place in order to refine us and mold us into His likeness. Nothing… and I mean absolutely nothing takes place in our lives without His sovereign hand guiding us. As the last couple lines say, His gold will not suffer a bit more heat than is needed to make it pure.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18