As usual I really enjoyed this thoughtful message and it addressed an issue I personally have given a lot of time too. We enjoy reading stories of famous missionaries to our kids, but I have been concerned about that based on my own Christian walk. Does it set them up for a big fall? Consider Jim Elliot and Eric Liddell, what great sacrifice what great faith! Growing up (church kid) David Livingston captured my imagination With his adventures to the heart of Africa. I ended up going to Africa on a mission trip. But in my own walk I have discovered I don’t have the faith or the calling of these men, or just simply have fallen short. This gave way to years, decades, of self loathing and Spiritual depression. In comparison to these, I feel I live a very non exceptional Christian life, though blessed with a faithful wife, steady government job and three beautiful kids. I had concluded that my expectations of myself and God were not in keeping with my true experience, my Christian imagination far exceeded my Christian reality. I consider this the working out of my own salvation, hence this is an exhortation not to limit God as the Israelites had done in the wilderness.
As usual I really enjoyed this thoughtful message and it addressed an issue I personally have given a lot of time too. We enjoy reading stories of famous missionaries to our kids, but I have been concerned about that based on my own Christian walk. Does it set them up for a big fall? Consider Jim Elliot and Eric Liddell, what great sacrifice what great faith! Growing up (church kid) David Livingston captured my imagination With his adventures to the heart of Africa. I ended up going to Africa on a mission trip. But in my own walk I have discovered I don’t have the faith or the calling of these men, or just simply have fallen short. This gave way to years, decades, of self loathing and Spiritual depression. In comparison to these, I feel I live a very non exceptional Christian life, though blessed with a faithful wife, steady government job and three beautiful kids. I had concluded that my expectations of myself and God were not in keeping with my true experience, my Christian imagination far exceeded my Christian reality. I consider this the working out of my own salvation, hence this is an exhortation not to limit God as the Israelites had done in the wilderness.