Grow - Edition #1

Read this today. Worth your reading.
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1247/

Of the five ideas listed, which one can you gain the most ground in? Why? What is a step you can take?

My answer

• “Tenthly…genteel living.” I think nothing is more seductive than this. James 1:2-4…Why? It both pulls me into non-productive stuff (waste, sin, etc) and pulls me away from God’s plan (great commandment and great commission). It causes me to start thinking in terms of “needs” (that are really desires), “prudence” (which is a misleading term for “secular wisdom with no regard for the urgency of the gospel”), “comfort” (Satan’s supreme tool…that we now tell ourselves God wants us to be comfortable…tell that to Moses, Joseph, Noah, Elijah, Abraham, Paul, John the Baptist, Christ…). o Next step? I need to take check of my life at an overall level for any “genteel living” elephants in the room. Also, I need to inventory days periodically for what is comfortable/genteel that is not God’s best for me.
• “Eighthly…never lay up money.” Money is biggest competitor of God for our hearts. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 and Matthew 6:19-24...Why? Been thinking about this a bit lately. So obviously I stored up money last year to pay for this adoption, potential need for larger car, etc. I felt good about that because I didn’t sock away a ton of money in the past “for a rainy day” but waited until there was a real need/use for the money. Should I save in the near-term to pay for a future adoption that I feel my heart saying we will do again? Is this the last year of the “seven years of plenty before the seven years of famine…” where I should store up for a *specific* future need? Thinking...