Snippet: This Got My Attention

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Here’s one from Lectio 365 on August 2. There was a surprise ending to a sentence that got my attention.

“I am reminded by the missionary George Muller, who saw God meet his needs in extraordinary ways as he cared for thousands of orphans in Bristol in the 1800s, that ‘the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to…’”

The main thing I know about George Muller is that he prayed. He prayed and trusted God a lot. He started and ran orphanages and never asked for money. That’s what I know from dozens of references to him throughout the years.

In addition, Lectio is a prayer app.

So I expected the sentence above to end with “pray.”

“The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to [pray].”

But it’s not what wrote. So it really got my attention.

What he wrote was, “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord.”

If you’re wondering how you can attend to this great and primary business, here’s a start:

  • Regularly ask God to stoke a desire in you to want to be happy in him.

  • Ask around to see how others nurture happiness in the Lord.

  • Reflect on what practices might increase your happiness in the Lord. It will take practices. You don’t learn to delight in anything without diving in. Think of your love relationships and your favorite activities. You develop practices around them.

  • Reflect on what practices smother your delight in the Lord.

  • Stoke more; smother less.

Photo by Freddy Mishiki on Unsplash

Snippet: The Power of Joy and Hope

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Here are a couple from Trevin Wax in a blog post titled “Don’t Let the Culture War Steal Your Joy.”

“What’s the point of battling Mordor if you’ve lost the joy of the Shire?

“…The church must often stand against the world for the good of the world. Some things we must oppose. But it’s the church’s irrepressible joyfulness—the smile of confidence in God’s good providence—that stands out in a world of dour debates and sour dispositions. That sense of deep-rooted gladness must be present at the dinner table, in our neighborhoods, and in our church services.”

Equally, right alongside it would often be a deep-rooted sorrow or grief.

And depending on your personality and the overall circumstances, you might lean more toward one or the other.

But constant anger and disdain for the world is not good for anyone. Neither helps when seeking to persuade or bring change or witness for Christ.

Yes, there’s plenty to be angry about in our world, even with righteous anger, but I’m always amazed at how often my righteous anger is tainted by my sin and lacking in corresponding grace.

Photo by Andres Iga on Unsplash.