August 24, 2009 in Uncategorized with 12 Comments

Shrunken Jesus

I am 23 pages into the book The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Everyone I have talked to that has read this book has told me how wrecked they were by it. I have to be honest and say that I was nervous that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I thought that because I had heard so many people say how moving it was to read, that I would be left unmoved. Man was I wrong. I couldn’t get through the prologue this morning without my eyes tearing up. One quote that I read that prompted this post is this:

“We have shrunk Jesus to the size where He can save our soul but now we don’t believe He can change the world.”

Maybe that is you today. Not as it relates to the world, but as it relates to your life personally. You have received Christ as your personal Savior, and you are thankful for forgiveness and salvation and heaven and eternal life and all of that…but you have lost hope that Christ really has the power to change your life, change your habits, your addictions, your attitude, your depression, your anxiety, your fears. At one point, you thought He could, but now you’re just surviving and basically waiting until heaven to feel any sense of wholeness or healing.

I just want to encourage you today. I have been there…been in that place where God seemed powerless compared to my hurt, compared to my sorrow, compared to my temptation, compared to my addiction, compared to my mess ups. I shrank Jesus. I believed He had the ability to save me, but He couldn’t change me.

Maybe from where you sit right now, Jesus looks so small compared to the change that your life needs. Don’t shrink Jesus. Allow Him to be everything He longs to be. He came to save you from your sin, but He also came to save you from all that prevents you from being who He longs for you to be. Greater is He that is in you today, than he that is in this world! (1 John 4:4)

Is there an area of your life where you have shrunken Jesus and given up on His ability to change you?

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  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Lindsey_Nobles Lindsey_Nobles

    I loved The Hole in our Gospel. I kinda can't quit talking about it. I am still trying to figure out how I can do a better job living out the whole gospel. But it has encouraged me to make some pretty significant changes already. Rich Stearns spoke on Friday night at the Women of Faith conference in Dallas. And his story is as moving in person as it is on the page.

    Thanks for sharing this. A wonderful way to start out the week.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

      Lindsey…it is as good as advertised! I too would like to live out more of the whole gospel instead of the most convenient parts.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Lindsey_Nobles Lindsey_Nobles

    I loved The Hole in our Gospel. I kinda can't quit talking about it. I am still trying to figure out how I can do a better job living out the whole gospel. But it has encouraged me to make some pretty significant changes already. Rich Stearns spoke on Friday night at the Women of Faith conference in Dallas. And his story is as moving in person as it is on the page.

    Thanks for sharing this. A wonderful way to start out the week.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

      Lindsey…it is as good as advertised! I too would like to live out more of the whole gospel instead of the most convenient parts.

  • http://billgrandi.com/ bill (cycleguy)

    Just got the book Saturday. Plan to read it soon. May have to read it sooner than planned.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

      It is better than I expected it to be. Would love to hear your take when you finish!

  • http://billgrandi.com bill (cycleguy)

    Just got the book Saturday. Plan to read it soon. May have to read it sooner than planned.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

      It is better than I expected it to be. Would love to hear your take when you finish!

  • Jason

    I probably shouldn't post this in public where others can see it and use it against me later but I'm now exactly where you were in your posting. "I believed He had the ability to save me, but He couldn’t change me." Actually, I'm kind of at the point where I feel it's not that he can't change me but He's not going to do it. Stupid, yeah…I know. It's just hard to talk about it because it's incredibly selfish to say "I feel like I'm out on my own right now." It's just hard to focus on sending the message that Jesus can change you to others when you don't feel it much yourself.

    Thanks for the encouragement. It's appreciated!

  • Jason

    I probably shouldn't post this in public where others can see it and use it against me later but I'm now exactly where you were in your posting. "I believed He had the ability to save me, but He couldn’t change me." Actually, I'm kind of at the point where I feel it's not that he can't change me but He's not going to do it. Stupid, yeah…I know. It's just hard to talk about it because it's incredibly selfish to say "I feel like I'm out on my own right now." It's just hard to focus on sending the message that Jesus can change you to others when you don't feel it much yourself.

    Thanks for the encouragement. It's appreciated!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

    Jason…thanks for your openness and honesty. I think we all go through those seasons that you are in right now. It seems to be how God grows me sometimes, to leave me with a sense of "out on my own." However, I want to encourage you to not lose hope. I am praying that his season that you are in right now will allow you to experience a greater sense of God's purpose and His power!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/davisfamily05 Justin and Trisha

    Jason…thanks for your openness and honesty. I think we all go through those seasons that you are in right now. It seems to be how God grows me sometimes, to leave me with a sense of "out on my own." However, I want to encourage you to not lose hope. I am praying that his season that you are in right now will allow you to experience a greater sense of God's purpose and His power!