What's Your Intended Destiny

I would Rather Die of Thirst than Drink from the Cup of Mediocrity

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It was June 2000 Brussels, Belguim in an Airport as I headed for the first time to West Africa on a mission trip. I was halted in my steps as I saw these words displayed over 7' tall as an advertisement. A captivating thought from a Christian point of view. A challenge to ponder.

What will I do with the challenge? What will you do?

A captivating thought - as a follower of Christ our church today celebrated the cup of Christ - the Lord's supper. The cup of Christ is not the cup of mediocrity. It is the cup of passion. It is the cup of courage. It is the cup of dangerous adventure. It is the cup of living life to the fullest, of running the race, of suffering, of victory, of the supernatural.

Now there are some even among the followers of Jesus who might say "I think I'd take a little drink. After all life is life and what good would it do to die of thirst?" Hummm. What good would it do to die? Ask Jesus Christ.

Following God is not for those who'll settle for mediocrity in any form. Wester's New World College Dictionary defines a thing as mediocre if it is neither very good nor very bad; ordinary; average; not good enough, in the middle. Doesn't God speak to this very issue? His word for mediocrity is lukewarm.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. - Rev. 3:15-16 (NIV)

Would you rather die of thirst than drink from the cup of mediocrity?

posted by miriam plowman @ 3:38 PM 2 comments

Deep is the Gift of Discipline

Have you been to the mountain peaks recently? I don't mean geographically, I mean spiritually. Have you visited the heights with God lately?

"Deep is the gift of discipline. Maslow said the whole world is comprised of non-peakers telling non-peakers about peak experiences. In some ways it seems to me that much of Christianity is a conversation of snorkelers talking to each other of scuba experiences. If mere conversation or study groups were the path to depth experience, the church would be deep indeed. But it is those who read and pray, not those who philosophize and chatter, who arrive at lives of real power." - Calvin Miller

I find one of the most interesting things... if "conversation or study groups" were the path to the deep, to the deep things of God ... I'd say we Christians, particularly Baptist Christians (because I am one) should be way deep by now! But it's not neccessarily true. In some ways our lives remind me of sponges that absorb and absorb and absorb. Is it any wonder God sends experiences into our lives to wring us out from time to time?

How do we arrive at real power in our lives?

Do we leave church or Bible study with more questions than we came with? Finding that even perhaps some of our questions reminded unanswered? And does that draw us toward God... the one and only who does have our answers? Or better yet who can in place of the answers we think we need, give us Himself! Well, praise God if that is true.

Take time with God this week. Ask Him to take you up the mountain side for just awhile and be willing to go to the heights with Him. There's plenty of work to be done in the valley, but first things first.

posted by miriam plowman @ 11:51 AM 0 comments