I don't know why I'm ever surprised that at the same time a theme of thoughts is running through my mind on a certain subject matter, I somehow encounter words in written or spoken form concerning the same thing. God is good like that. That is why the following quote I read this morning freshly provoked and challenged me.
“[As] a matter of plain fact every Christian is a theologian!… By virtue of being born again we have all begun to know God and therefore have a certain understanding of his nature and actions. That is, we all have a theology of sorts, whether or not we have ever sat down and pieced it together. So properly understood, theology is not for a few religious eggheads with a flair for abstract debate—it is everybody’s business. Once we have grasped this, our duty is to become the best theologians we can to the glory of God, as our understanding of God and his ways is clarified and deepened through studying the book he has given for that very purpose, the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)…[G]etting doctrine right is the key to getting everything else right…[A]t every point right living begins with right thinking.” - Bruce Milne
“[As] a matter of plain fact every Christian is a theologian!… By virtue of being born again we have all begun to know God and therefore have a certain understanding of his nature and actions. That is, we all have a theology of sorts, whether or not we have ever sat down and pieced it together. So properly understood, theology is not for a few religious eggheads with a flair for abstract debate—it is everybody’s business. Once we have grasped this, our duty is to become the best theologians we can to the glory of God, as our understanding of God and his ways is clarified and deepened through studying the book he has given for that very purpose, the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)…[G]etting doctrine right is the key to getting everything else right…[A]t every point right living begins with right thinking.” - Bruce Milne
You see, the reason this was so timely for me, is because I've been thinking A LOT about my generation. Why does it seem that this generation of believers so struggles with getting deep into God's word and staying in love with the Savior? I'm speaking about myself included. And I'm not saying that this is absolutely across the board, but it does seem like our generation is having to fight for faith harder and more often then ever before. I really have been fighting fear recently when thinking about where the churches of our nation will be in twenty years. I've had to lean hard on God and trust His promise to complete the good work in those He has redeemed. Following our flesh comes easy to us. It's following God that is hard. But His grace is sufficient and His burden is light. The earthly pleasures of this world will all be gone one day...it will all be dust. Why then is it so hard to get our lives to reflect our knowledge? Well, for me I do believe the above quote, that "getting doctrine right is the key to getting everything else right...at every point right living begins with right thinking". Even though I've grown up reading God's word and other books on Christian living, I see how I've also squandered precious time that I could have used to immerse myself in "right doctrine". I have failed to fully apply Psalm 1.
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." - Psalm 1:1-2
So, all this is to say that I have been: pierced with conviction over not being the theologian God has called me to be; filled with hope that I can grow in that area with God's help; encouraged to be a generation that delights in God's word and inspired to grow into a woman who lives rightly, because I think rightly. Amazing grace, how sweet it is!
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