Tag Archives: deeper life

How do you attain the deeper life?

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You might think that the deeper life would be attained by more bible study, more prayer, more witnessing. But the deeper life, like life itself, is based on desire, not works. The deeper life is marked- by some of the things listed above. But unless you experience in your heart a longing desire to know Jesus more, even to participate in his sufferings, you will not likely find it. It will become a chore and tiresome pursuit.

 

How do you build such desire? It is not unlike your desire for your child or spouse. The more you spend time with them, value them, and learn about them the more you desire them.

 

The more we draw close to God the more we come to trust him and cherish our time with him. We learn that indeed “the Lord is good and his move eqndures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations* – even in painful situations, even in the midst of grief, even in sadness and times of feeling all alone. (* Psalm 100:5)

 

Being honest with yourself will help you with this matter of desire. When I look at where I send my time and money and the things that easily pull me toward them I can quickly scan where my desires are. I can say I love my family but if I am more eager to do something else, my real desire is not for my family.

 

As you spend time with God and pray and read his Word, consider his attributes. God is mighty, all powerful, just, compassionate, and full of mercy. His love endures through all generations. He is patient and faithful. He will not break a promise. You might do a study of the names of God and come to know he is the one who sees you where you are. He is your refuge, your friend, the one who has a good plan for your life.

 

Ask him to reveal more of himself to you. Ask him to show you how to look at people and possessions though the eyes of Jesus, so you can understand his will.

 

Let your desire for God grow in your heart. It’s a lifetime process and right here on the path with you.

 

Maybe you’re right

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I was talking with another cancer patient recently, and the conversation turned to how crises have a way of getting our attention and how they often cause us to dig deeper in our life. We shared how this horrific disease drew each of us closer to our spouse and also to God. I suppose it is cliché to comment on how it encourages us to think about what is important in life, what we want to be known for and how we want to spend the days we have. The ‘need’ to BE right gives way more and more to focus on having the right spirit. Tozer writes in The Keys to the Deeper Life, “Always it is more important that we retain a right spirit toward others than we bring them into our way of thinking, even if our way is right.”

How many times have you found yourself in an ‘argument’ over some trivial matter? “It was in 1974.” “No it was 1975.” It will be faster if we turn left here.” “No, it will be longer that way; turn right.” I remember sitting in the back seat of a car as the couple in front spent a full five minutes berating each other over who was right. It is not that disagreement is unhealthy. Quite the contrary sometimes. But striving over trivial matters is a sign of an unhealthy relationship. Even good relationships can be better, even great.

Marcia and I used to get caught up in such pettiness. I suppose sometimes we still do, but we are quicker to realize the trap before we fall too deeply into it. Sometime ago we discovered the wisdom of, “Maybe you’re right,” not as some psychobabble but of realizing 1) we might in fact be wrong and 2) that too much focus on trivial arguments is slippery slope toward relational distancing.

Sometimes, determining the right facts is crucial to a conversation. But many times not. Think on your interactions with others and how many times you find yourself sliding into trivial arguments that don’t matter. Is that really how you want to spend your time? How does having to be right affect the other aspects of your relationship with others? And your relationship with God?

Let’s all commit to living a deeper life, one where we measure when it is important to strive, and when striving becomes harmful.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. James 4:1-2