Why I'm Tweeting Again

For around three years I've been fascinated by Twitter.  It may be the journalist in me, but there's something intriguing to me about trying to say something meaningful and memorable in 140 characters.  When I read these words from John Piper awhile back, they really resonated with me:

The sovereign Lord of the earth and sky
Puts camels through a needle’s eye.
And if his wisdom see it mete,
He will put worlds inside a tweet.

But for nearly two years, I've done very little tweeting.  I think that's because as I began tweeting, I realized I was doing so not to serve people, but to serve myself.  There is something that feels good about knowing you're being "followed", hoping that more and more people will follow you and be impressed with you. 

But I tweet to a very small audience.  And when I wasn't seeing that audience grow, I just figured it wasn't worth continuing.  But as I pondered that response, I realized that the only reason I thought a minimal audience made my tweeting irrelevant was because I was consumed with pride and self-absorption.  When I came to the conclusion that tweeting was simply an expression of my pride and vanity, I gave it up.

Last week I picked up tweeting again.  I've been going through a discipleship manual called Gospel DNA with some guys, and it was talking about the importance of being involved in one anothers' lives to help each other remember Jesus throughout the week.  The question was asked, "What are some ways you can help each other fight sin by reminding each other of the cross?"

Twitter came to mind.  It's certainly not the only or the best way to encourage others.  But it is one way to regularly encourage a significant number of people at one time (as many as choose to follow along).  So I picked it back up, and I think maybe it's here to stay.

I can say with a pure heart now that I don't want to tweet to gain a bunch of followers.  I don't need my Twitter account to go viral.  I just want to provide some bite-sized pieces of encouragement for the people of God as we carry on our pilgrimage to glory.  So if you're so inclined, you can check out my tweets @larrylaz.

I'm grateful to be at a place where I sincerely don't care if anyone chooses to follow along.  If I never have more than 19 followers (my current total), I'm totally cool with that.  But I hope that as many as do read will be strengthened and nourished as you fight the fight of faith.

Forgiveness & Reconciliation

My friend Jason Tyrell preached an excellent message yesterday morning from Luke 6 on loving our enemies.  Those who want to think through in more depth on how to love our enemies, and how to see relationships heal that have been fractured, may be helped by this article from Tim Keller.

The gospel is vividly on display when sinners learn how to love one another in the midst of hurt and misunderstanding.  So articles like this are beneficial in learning how to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:10).

The Verdict that Matters

This man's blog really is a regular source of encouragement to me:

“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”  2 Corinthians 5:10

This is our ultimate accountability.  Let’s get ready.  Let’s live with intentionality.  Let’s live in repentance.  Let be aware, moment by moment, that right now counts forever.  What we think, what we say, what we feel, what we do and don’t do — we matter.  We matter to Christ.  We will matter forever.  And very soon we will “report in.”

This is solemnizing.  This is dignifying.  It is also encouraging.

What if, as you stand there before Christ your Judge on that great and final day, surrounded by all the redeemed, each one awaiting his or her moment before the Lord — what if, standing there before him, he asks, “Everyone, I want to know who among you appreciated this person’s ministry?  Who would like to bear witness to how he helped you for my sake?”  And no one says anything.  Total silence.  Awkward silence.  Everyone is embarrassed.  Everyone is thinking, “Would somebody please say something?”  You are standing there wondering, “So my entire life comes down to this?  What a failure I am!”  Only one voice breaks that terrible silence.  The Lord himself stands and says, “Well, I appreciated his ministry!”

It’s an improbable scenario.  But putting it like that does isolate the most urgent question of all.  Is the approval of Jesus enough for you and for me?  Do we love him enough, do we revere him enough, that his judgment is the one we’re living for?

We care what others think.  We want to please them (1 Corinthians 10:33).  But whose opinion will count forever?

Life is a Festive Occasion

More wisdom from Ray Ortlund:

“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.  Let your garments be always white.  Let not oil be lacking on your head.  Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.”  Ecclesiastes 9:7-9

We could take any of three approaches to the daily experience of this earthly life.

One, this present experience is all we have, our only chance at a little happiness.  But absolutizing this life puts enormous pressure on us, intensifying our desperation and pushing us toward doing stupid things.  Worse, it cuts us off from the endless love of God in Christ.

Two, this present experience is a stepping-stone into eternity, which is all that matters even now.  This broken world is more to be endured than enjoyed.  Indeed, this world and everything about it are an embarrassment to any serious person.

Three, this present experience is brief, non-ultimate and good.  While it lasts, it is to be dignified — not absolutized or despised but dignified — as a gift from God.  This life is a mixture of grace and tragedy, a good creation marred by our human folly.  So, the wise seek the things that are above, where Christ is (Colossians 3:1), and they receive with thanksgiving the good things God gives here and now (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

The first approach is the unbelief of visceral idolatry.  The second approach is the unbelief of pious negativism.  The third approach is wisdom.  It is biblical, humane, sustainable.

Have a good day.

Jesus

From my days working at a Christian bookstore in State College, PA (circa 2002), I've always loved this picture of Jesus. There are many days in which I feel like this man; it is wonderfully precious that when I can't pick myself up or fight the fight of faith, that Jesus upholds me with His victorious right hand.

If you were to caption this picture with a Bible verse, which one would you pick?

The 4 G's & Busyness

In Tim Chester's new book, A Meal with Jesus, he applies "the 4 G's" (4 liberating truths about God that Chester unfolds in this book, You Can Change) to the subject of busyness. Chester's conviction is that many Christians fail to engage in Christ's mission because they believe they are too busy. Yet we often fail to examine why were are busy. Chester presses us to consider:

• You may be too busy because you're insecure and need to control life. But God is great and cares for you as a sovereign heavenly Father.

• You may be too busy because you fear other people, and so you can't say no. But God is glorious, and His opinion is the one that matters.

• You may be too busy because you're filling your life with activity in a desperate attempt to find satisfaction. But God is good, and the true source of joy.

• You may be too busy because you're trying to prove yourself through your work or ministry. But God is gracious and justifies you freely through Christ's finished work.

What keeps you busy? Which one of these liberating truths about God can free you from the tyranny of busyness so that you can abandon yourself to the mission of making Christ known?

Busy Christians

"How are you doing?"

It seems like one of the most common answers to that question is: busy. Busyness seems to be a paralyzing illness in our society, and especially in the church.

A few years ago Tim Chester (whose book You Can Change I have recommended many times on this blog) wrote a book called The Busy Christian's Guide to Busyness.

In it, he says that one of the important ways to deal with our busyness is to identify the desires of our hearts that make us try to do more than God expects of us. Here are some examples, along with the accompanying truths of God that can liberate us from the tyrannies of our sinful desires:

• I’m busy busy because I need to prove myself-The liberating rest of God
• I’m busy because of other people’s expectations-The liberating fear of God
• I’m busy because otherwise things get out of control-The liberating rule of God
• I’m busy because I prefer being under pressure-The liberating refuge of God
• I’m busy because I need the money-The liberating joy of God
• I’m busy because I want to make the most of my life-The liberating hope of God

If you find that you're always telling people about how busy you are, this might be a good book to check out.

Modesty

What is modesty? Elyse Fitzpatrick defines it this way:

Christian modesty is simply a refusal to show off out of love for God and one’s neighbor.

Check out her blog post to see how the gospel empowers us to pursue modesty for God's glory.

Another To-Do List

Awhile back I posted a very short to-do list from Elyse Fitzpatrick. Here's a slightly longer one from the 9 Marks blog:

See how many of these things you have already completed (or can still do later today)...

1. Have you read your Bible and prayed?

2. Have you given God thanks for something?

3. Have you encouraged someone?

4. Have you considered your sin? (and have you repented of it?)

5. Have you told the gospel to anyone?

6. Have you given God praise for his character?

7. Can you think of a way to serve someone you love?

8. Can you write someone a (brief) note/email that might help them through a struggle?

9. Can you protect your eyes and heart from lusting on your way home?

10. Can you remind yourself of the gospel? (it is never a bad time to recount this glorious truth!)