Category Archives: Human nature

Avoid culture’s cynical mindset

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The opposite of a childlike spirit is a cynical spirit. Cynicism is, increasingly, the dominant spirit of our age. Personally, it is my greatest struggle in prayer. If I get an answer to prayer, sometimes I’ll think, It would have happened anyway. Other times I’ll try to pray but wonder if it makes any difference.

images-2So writes Paul Miller in his recent book A PRAYING LIFE (NavPress, 2009). The first part of the book (there are 5 sections) has a few drawbacks (loose language for theologically minded readers), but is fine. This second part is excellent — diagnosis a real & present problem, and addressing it biblically and practically. Here’s a bit more from Miller…

Cynicism and defeated weariness have this in common: They both question the active goodness of God on our behalf…. Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with the wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaged, loving, and hoping. … To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being “in the know,” cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It leads to a creeping bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit.

A praying life is just the opposite. It engages evil. It doesn’t take no for an answer. Prayer is feisty. Cynicism on the other hand, merely critiques. It is passive, cocooning itself from the passions of the great cosmic battle we are engaged in. It is without hope.

Great stuff, eh! Pause now and pray against this subtle foe. And hear Paul (and me) pray for you in Romans 15:13 —

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

pdb

Just a book, or the Word of God?

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05_02_5---Bible_webOne sign that you are a real Christian is that you see the Bible not just as an old book, but as the very Word of God.

I clearly remember the days of my youth, when I viewed the Bible as merely a book — I read it sparingly (mostly in Sunday School class), and revered it as a special book, but did not grasp its meaning or significance. When my best friend became a Christian, I thought he was in a cult, and dusted off my Bible to rescue him from his new beliefs. But he showed me what was actually in the Bible. I would argue other points of view, but could not refute what could be plainly read in the passages he showed me.

Over the next several months I was drawn to read more of the Bible, but it was convicting me, as if it said: “you are not a Christian at all, despite your church going and all.” It was the truth, and I could no longer deny it. One evening (in the summer of 1978), weeping, I knelt at my bedside and confessed my sins, pleading with God to forgive me, and save me — make me a Christian.

From that night onward, the Bible was an open book to me, rich with meaning and significance for my hunger soul! Things I had read before (and even underlined) came alive to me! Reading it was (and is) a great joy, showing me the glories of my God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christians are those who know by experience that the Bible is God’s holy Word. This seems to be implied by Paul, as he wrote to the church in Thessalonica:

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. [2:13, esv]

How do you see the Bible? Have you experienced the power and truth of God’s Word? Read the Word. Seek Him there. Hear, heed and hope in the Word of God.

pdb