Misery in Paradise
GCD Weekly Newsletter - January 16th 2023
“Well this is just great,” I whispered to myself. The trip my family and I had planned for over a year had finally arrived. I was actually in Hawaii, one of the most beautiful places on earth, to celebrate the holidays with my in-laws. The sun was shining bright, the beaches provided scenes that postcards can only hope to capture, and all the gorgeous waterfalls were only a short hike away.
But there I was, sitting in a recliner at my sister-in-law’s house, sick with the flu.
“I paid all this money to come here and be sick while so many fun adventures, that I can’t do in Texas, pass me by. This is just great,” I grumbled. There is never a good time to be sick, but if I must get the flu, why can’t it be when I’m at home and can miss a few days of work? Why must I feel so miserable at a time when I could be surfing, looking for whales, or eating shaved ice?
While my heart teetered on the edge of bitterness, I tried to remind myself of the truth. God is sovereign, he wouldn’t bring this about if it didn’t work out for my good and his glory. Perhaps he wants to use this to encourage someone else. Maybe he’s using this to chisel my heart to look more like his. While the situation was incredibly frustrating, I knew it wasn’t meaningless.
To fight the internal battle, I had to strive to look outside myself. Doing so isn’t easy, especially when the circumstances are less than ideal. This week’s articles remind us to look outside ourselves, whether that be outside our time period or in the sins of others that so perturb us. Lord willing, doing so will give us a more objective view of ourselves, and, by the Lord’s grace, calm our hearts…even if we are in paradise with the flu.
Last Week at GCDiscipleship.com
Generations of Chronological Snobbery
— by Adam Salloum
“I don’t think the solution to chronological snobbery is an equally common cynicism about our present era. I think humility allows us to simply see our generation as a small part in the bigger story God is writing to make all things new. We get to ask what faithfulness requires of us in this age, without puffing ourselves up by sneering at our ancestors. For we can be sure that those same sneers will be directed at us in the not-so-distant future.”
The Speck You See In Their Eye Might Be The Exact Log In Yours
— by Timothy Wei
“The obvious question, then, is what is the sin you observe in others that is the most problematic to you? It’s a different way of asking you to identify your own weaknesses. But it is phrased in a way that requires honesty and yields answers that can be quite humbling. This is ultimately because it is a question that elicits an answer from which you cannot hide.”
Old Testament Precedent for Expository Preaching in the Gathered Church
— by Tony Merida
“We are being guided not to miss what the people of God are doing: gathering to hear the word of God. As we read through this chapter, we find the word being taught in a large setting (Neh. 8:1–6), then in smaller groups (v. 7–8), and finally in homes (v. 13–18). It is an inspiring vision of what we ideally see in church life today: the word preached in corporate worship; the word studied and applied in smaller settings; and the word taught and lived out in the home.”
Poll of the Week
With Christmas right behind us, and a year of potential vacation planning ahead, are you looking forward to going away again, or are you content to stay home?
In Christ,
James Williams serves as associate pastor at FBC Atlanta, TX. James and his wife, Jenny, are blessed with four children and are actively involved in foster care. He is passionate about beholding the beauty of our Lord and helping others do the same. He enjoys writing, running, and gardening. You can follow James on Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.