This goes along with my last article. Worth thinking about.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility | Challies Dot Com
Friday, January 6, 2012
Why Do We Pursue a Certain Life's Direction?
Because of some rare gene? Early childhood exposure? Ancestry?
Why was my father an engineer for GM? And why didn't I become an engineer like him?
The truth is, from a human perspective, none of us can explain why we go after certain pursuits other than what we heard as children: "Your mommy is really musical, so you'll probably be musical too." The Bible sheds some light on this question when it says that we're "fearfully and wonderfully made" and that this careful planning occurred long before our first breath—in fact, before anybody had any idea what time even was.
The bottom line is that God decides the type of interest we'll pursue. The Bible says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." God gives us both interest and aptitude for what He wants us to do in life. It's silly of me to think I could be the next big recording artist if I can't carry a tune. If I faint at the sight of blood, I probably won't be a renowned surgeon either.
But there is something God wants me to do. Remember what the New Testament says about the church. We can't all be hands and feet or eyes or noses.
But we are some part, and that part is valuable to God.
I believe God leads us into certain interests, and usually (but not always) we gravitate toward a life's pursuit because of those interests. (Interest+aptitude=direction, right?) It is true, however, that many work a job they don't like because they have a family to support and know no other way to put food on the table. But they still have dreams, don't they? Sometimes dreams stay only dreams, but sometimes God allows those dreams to come true.
And I think those dreams—note, when they match God's dreams—are what give us a worthwhile direction in life.
For me the interest to work with words began at an early age. I had no idea why other than that perhaps my mom read a lot of books and, because of her influence, I became a lover of words and stories too. Later, being a published novelist was something I dreamed about but didn't take too seriously.
Therefore, God leads us to become the people He means us to be, whether a teacher or mechanic or banker. But does that mean we are robots? Does that mean we have no say in the matter? I don't think so. Without getting into a big discussion of Calvinism, I believe Scripture is clear that God won't drag us kicking and screaming to do something we loathe. (If we're robots, then there is no personal responsibility, but the Bible is clear that we are responsible for our actions.)
But God will give us interests that harmonize with His purposes, and somehow (in a way I don't believe anyone can fully understand this side of heaven) our free will meshes with His will. And because He created us and knows us better than anyone else ever could, He guides us along the path we're meant to take. Consider these words from Charles Spurgeon (whom I've been reading a lot lately):
It is but little that we know of Jesus compared with what he knows of us. We have but begun to study him, but he knoweth us altogether. It is a blessed circumstance that the ignorance is not on his side, for then it would be a hopeless case for us.
But our case isn't hopeless because God knows us well enough to lead us along the right path based on the unique DNA He implanted deep within.
So.
Nothing overly eloquent here, but this is a topic I've been mulling over lately.
What about you? What do you think about your path in life?
Do you think we follow certain interests because God decrees them? Or because they're in our genes? Do we have any say in the matter?
Do you ever feel like a robot with the control in God's hands? (I confess that I do sometimes.) Or do you think there's another way to look at it? Go ahead and chime in.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Flight to Heaven: A Plane Crash...A Lone Survivor...A Journey to Heaven--and Back [Kindle Edition]
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Everything Family Christmas Book (Everything (Reference)) [Kindle Edition]
God's Answers for Life's Questions [Kindle Edition]
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A Time to Write
Everyone. Without exception. (What keeps them busy is another story.)
Perhaps that's all they are—complaints. Perhaps it's time for me to test the complaints and see if there's any validity behind them. After all, I'm supposed to be a writer, right?
I freely admit that among writing types, fiction is at the top of my list. Nonfiction is . . . well, it's nonfiction. It's work. Fiction opens the door to creativity for me—it's fun—while nonfiction . . . well, the creative side there is not so quickly apparent. Perhaps I need to shatter my own bias and show that I can be creative and write nonfiction.
Now I'm rambling.
So let's test the complaints and try my hand at writing a weekly article and see where this writing goes. But write about what? Some authors use every blog post to promote their writing ad nauseam. Those who know me well know that that's not me. When I have publishing news to report, I'll report it, but I don't intend to do much more promotional writing beyond that. Those who are interested in my next book can go buy it; those who aren't . . . well, God bless 'em. No hard feelings.
So then what will I write about? Goodness, there are simply too many topics to choose from. So I'll start with what's on the tip of my tongue or—a better metaphor—on the tips of my fingers.
Life is full of stuff to write about, so I'll start there. I have no grand illusions of writing anything so profound that it'll knock you off your chair . . . or your couch . . . or . . . whatever . . . (And if I've got typos, well, such is life. I edit stuff for other people all day; I don't intend to sweat the small stuff on my own words. If there's a typo now and then, please forgive it.) But I do plan to write from the heart about things that are near and dear to me. Things that are significant—at least as I define the word. Keep an eye on this space as I begin writing weekly in 2012. It may be about writing. It may be about politics or Christian living or editing or music or . . . who knows? Keep an eye out.
Great Review of Fatal Illusions at The Suspense Zone
I'm honored. Check this out!
Amplify’d from www.thesuspensezone.com
What you observe is not always true.
Haydon Owens, a wanna-be-Houdini, had made four young teenage girls, each with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wire-rimmed glasses, disappear. Wanting to change his life around and avoid police capture, he spirits himself off to a small cabin in Newberry, Michigan, where no one knows anything about him. Little did he know that he’d find another blonde, blue-eyed girl with wire-rim glasses that would enrage him.
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