Through this, I believe the Lord has been teaching me to be a good steward even with my reading. What am I reading that’s going to bring God the most glory? What’s going to impact me as a follower of Christ no matter where I’m at in my walk? Although studies in “how the bible was put together” are interesting and useful, and “theological nitpicking” is probably best reserved for more scholarly circles, I want to make sure that the majority of the supplemental literature I put in my head is also going to make the most impact on my heart.
Now please understand that I’m not belittling the benefit of books tackling fringe-topics; they can and do shape the minds of the next generation of theologians & ultimately the church. Their existence alone is typically an indicator for the need to address such issues. Some audience somewhere is raising a question, right?!?
Anyway, as a follower of Christ, lately I’ve been finding the most benefit reading titles on Christian Living or Personal Growth; books from respected teachers that understand the theology but, more importantly, can apply the truths to our lives, knowing they’ll produce massive change. Here’s a quick flyover of a few titles I’ve been absorbing recently:
John Piper “The Dangerous Duty of Delight” ( The Glorified God and the Satisfied Soul)
This is a primer for his more substantive, classic work on Christian Hedonism called “Desiring God.” The first half gives theological support for God’s command for his followers to find joy in Him and thus glorify Him by doing so. Many followers of Christ accept him as Savior and Lord and go full-steam into sanctification, often in their own strength, and lose the joy of fellowship with the Lord. Christian Hedonism reminds us that by humbling ourselves before God and letting Him rule our lives we find ultimate joy which will most please Him and ourselves. Seems simple enough, right?
No big surprise, Piper gets us back on track by pointing us to Jesus’ great commandments (Matt. 22, Mark 12, Luke 10) to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Our pursuits in godliness must be founded on love. Since we often seem to struggle with this practically, Piper gives us the memorable mantra: “Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others.” Settling for the world’s definition of love & joy will ultimately leave us without either.
The second half of the book tackles some avenues of practical application through chapters titled, “What does it mean for...”
- Worship - “its essence is satisfaction; it can’t be a means for anything else. ‘God is enough’”.
- Marriage - “The biblical mandate to husbands and wives is to seek your own joy in the joy of your spouse. Put the glory of Christ on display by pursuing your joy in the holy joy of your beloved. “
- Money - God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves his gifts. We must think and live by Wartime necessities! Get by on only what you need, then give generously to the cause of Christ with whatever else.
- Missions – True missionaries, wherever they’re planted, never consider their service to further the Kingdom of Christ as sacrifice.
- Pursuing joy through suffering magnifies the all-satisfying worth of the Source of our joy
C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity
This is my first read of a C.S. Lewis title. Yes, I know he is a 20th century Christian giant, but hey, give me a break. Anyway, this is the obvious classic that many followers of Christ recommend, and with good reason. It’s a revised compilation of shorter writings based originally on broadcast radio programs Lewis did in the early 1940s. He begins by discussing human nature and pointing readers to the existence of a Moral Law, and ultimately a Moral Law Giver. Next, he points us to Christ as the only way to restore our broken relationship with our Creator. The responses & pursuits of the believer are then laid out in passages on various Christian morals and doctrines. Sufficient space is reserved for the “Great Sin: Pride” and its antidote: Humility. Lewis writes from a layman perspective throughout, which makes this book highly approachable and practical to the many. The borderline archaic, yet proper, language and contextualization can sometimes seem distant, but the underlying thrust is timeless.
C.J. Mahaney – Humility (True Greatness)
Mahaney tackles the biggest offense to God: Pride, and the Godly response: Humility. We all have pride to some degree, but hopefully the Lord is uprooting this from us day by day. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” The book is full of useful practical application that we can begin today. Nothing melts away pride quicker than focusing our thoughts on the suffering Jesus Christ did for us. From that point we can do things such as beginning and ending our days humbly giving thanks to God for His provision, reflecting on God’s attributes and various accepted church doctrines, allowing others to speak truth into our lives, and my favorite - “Identifying Evidence of Grace in Others.” Additional focus is given to harnessing suffering for God’s glory, focusing our hearts back on the sufficiency of Christ amidst trials. (“God is Enough”) Our entire worship ministry staff read this a few years back, and I’ve revisited it often; even recommending it to friends and giving it as a gift. It’s a relatively easy read; by God’s grace the applications can be, too.
Lord God, Father in Heaven, you’ve been more than gracious in calling me to yourself through the humbling work of your Son, Jesus Christ. I thank You and praise You for Your provision of salvation. Remind me daily of Your sufficiency in all things. Help me press on daily to find satisfaction in You alone, and let that Love and Joy strengthen and motivate me to love my neighbor as myself. Apart from You, I can do nothing, God. I thank you for your living Word, that changes and sanctifies us each day. I thank you for godly men who share practical approaches to Your revealed truths. Lord, help us all regularly apply these truths to our lives, that we may glorify You and joyfully be the light of Christ to others. Amen.
