Tuesday's Thoughts

A couple of nights ago I was reading a few pages from John Piper's book, Taste and See. It is a great read if you love Piper but can only read a few pages at a time. This book is basically just short journal entries he has collected over the years. On this one particular night I was reading the entry "Her Body, Her Self, and Her God." It is basically Piper talking about how much we, as women, have changed over the decades from women who desire good works, to women who desire good looks. This really hit me hard...or as I like to say, "It rocked my world." He quoted two different passages from scripture, 1 Tim. 2:9-10 and 1 peter 3:3-4,6.

Piper's thought on why we have drastically changed is because the "person" we, as women, seek approval from has changed from God to man. I think I fight between God's approval and man's approval daily. Don't you? I worry more about what stroller Eli is in instead of caring about the way I am leading him through life. I worry more about what clothes I have on than what clothes my heart. I worry more about how my actions compare to others instead of comparing my actions to God. I want to come to a place where God's approval is all I care about; where I am free from man's approval and stop constantly comparing myself to others.

Just the other day I was coveting a friend's possessions while driving somewhere and the Lord reminded me that all that I have, He has given me. And when I covet what someone else has I am basically spitting on what God has given me! That really cut me deep. How am I going to get past this way of mind?

I think the way this is going to happen is to daily learn more about God's character and remember and believe, as my mom puts it, "He loves me more than anyone else does and knows me better than I know myself." Oh that I would live like I believe this and that God would make my only desire to seek His approval and seek to share His name with those He puts in my path. So I am challenging myself to put God at the center of all I do and spend more time with Him EVERYDAY. Just remember, at the end of it all, He is going to be the only one that matters anyway. I would just hate to get to heaven after spending all my time on earth making more of myself instead of making more of Christ.