“Developmental growth is not as simple and straightforward as we might presuppose. . . . Many assume that growth is a gentle and easy movement upward, but this a spirituality divorced from reality. Instead, the Lord floods us with his goodness to nourish our souls for a journey that proves difficult.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
In Chapter 4 (“Avoiding God in Our Passion”) of When God Seems Silent, Kyle Strobel and John Coe cite stories of Christians considered sages in the faith. Above all, those sages all seemed to possess a common experience. This occurred late in life when folks started to treat them like spiritual authorities. As a result, the sages found themselves more consistently confronted with their desperation for God than ever before.
Thus, from that vantage point, Christian sages looked back on their lives. Certainly, they knew they were more mature at that stage than in their youth. However, they felt like better Christians in their immaturity than in their maturity. Most significantly, Kyle and John note, this feeling carries great importance. Because it reveals how easy we find it to misinterpret God’s work in our lives.
In conclusion, Kyle and John describe how they relate to Jonathan Edwards’ (1703-1758) experience:
“Part of maturation is unlearning how we judge our growth and learning to embrace what the Lord has for us in every season of the soul. But, as Edwards reveals, this is a confusing lesson. . . .
We [Kyle and John] began to see how self-centered, arrogant, and envious we were — how little love we really had for God and others. We saw how much worry formed our decision-making . . . began to see deeper fault lines in our hearts than we could see prior. This was a gift, and yet we experienced it as failure.”
Today’s question: What Scriptures help you avoid a spirituality divorced from reality? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the June Short Meditation, “The music of the spheres”