“Even the best sermon, book, or podcast is not enough to give us what we need for the days ahead, not even enough to buoy us for more than a few weeks or days. His Word, however, can change us. It can change how we see the fence line. It can reach into us, disrupt our old thought patterns, and reshape the way we think, see, and engage with the world around us.”- Sara Hagerty
As Sara Hagerty moves on in Chapter 10 of The Gift of Limitations, she admits it’s a bit of a fight to make it a practice to sit in Jesus’ lap. Because many of the thoughts we wrestle with run counter to the truth of God’s Word. Thus, many thoughts that surround us oppose God. Sometimes, Sara observes, they:
- tell us we’re invincible and need to overcome our limitations.
- serve as report cards, measuring our progress.
- coach us to reach for what we don’t have.
However, God’s Word serves as a counterbalance to the above thoughts. But we need to engage with the Word. Yet, Sara notes, we have a complicated relationship with the Word. Hence, in a moment of stress, your history, narrative, and hurt inform your choice. So, you either pick up your Bible and talk to God, or you read another news article. Scroll through your feed.
In addition, Sara expands on this thought:
“There are reasons we don’t read our Bibles or receive the words as sterile and distant when we do. We have a complicated relationship with the Word and its author, but we make it simple: I’m just tired, I don’t have time, and it doesn’t inspire me the way some other author’s writing does. End of story.
Except that our over simplified reasons for not picking up this Word . . . prevent us from having the most important conversation of our lives.”
A heart-to-heart talk with God.
Today’s question: What’s the best sermon you recall hearing preached? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “His Word encircles my thoughts”
