So ends Lent, with an incredible celebration of joy that is yet only a faint echo of the eternal celebration that we will one day get to be a part of.
I’ve really enjoyed posting a promise on the blog each day (well, most days). It’s taught me three main things:
1) I am much more self-condemnatory than I had previously realized – and God convicts me much less than I had thought! It was a real effort some days to turn away from my preoccupation with my sin, to what God was saying about His grace, His kindness, His forgiveness, His all-around amazing goodness.
Result: I have covenanted with God to put to death all self-condemnation. Because Jesus is an entirely sufficient sacrifice, and to think otherwise is sin. I’ll probably spend the rest of my life working this one out, but at least now I know what direction it’s going in as I walk under grace.
2) How little I encouraged and exhorted myself before, even when I was often doing that to/for others. I preach to myself more now, taking captive every thought, and will keep searching out promises in Scripture. This is part of learning to strengthen myself in the Lord.
3) That the promises are activated by faith. Each day, each promise, has made me take up the shield of faith more actively and intentionally. The goodness of the promises has made me want to fight to possess them. Goodness and grace have made me more passionate about responding with action, not less.
So where to, from here?
I’ve really started to enjoy blogging, and can see this carrying on indefinitely, though perhaps not with the same intensity of daily posts, which is actually impossible to keep up. I definitely intend to keep posting several times a week, though. It keeps me mindful of what’s in my heart, for out of its overflow come my posts. I can also see topics expanding to testimonies and reflections on student work, social justice, observations on expat life and crossing cultures…we shall see.
If you have something that you would like to hear from me about on this blog, please would you let me know? Thanks.
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PS Oh, and how did memorizing the Sermon on the Mount go? Not great, sadly. I only got to the end of Chapter 5. But hey, if I hadn’t aimed for the whole thing, I would never have gotten through Chapter 5, OK? Going to keep going.
stalkingjoy 