Dustin Neeley » Heart Gospel Sanctification

 

Half-Hearted Creatures

I remember being in college and having my world blown apart by reading what was then a thick, obscure book called Desiring God, by John Piper, a guy I hadn't really heard of. The destruction began a few pages in when I read an unforgettable quote by C.S. Lewis:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Muddy Footprints

Being in ministry offers us no exemption from mud pie-making. We just make different mud pies. As Christian leaders, we are often content with notoriety among other pastors or on the internet, instead of the fact that we are known intimately by God. We are often more content with growing crowds, budgets, and baptisms than we are in growing in our appreciation and application of the gospel. And because we are so busy, we don't notice the mud on our hands and the muddy footprints we are leaving behind for our people to follow.

So how do we remedy this?

It won't be through simply trying harder to stay away from mud pies. Our hearts are too wicked and the pull is too strong. But the words of Thomas Chalmers may help:

The heart is so constituted that the only way to dispossess it of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one.

Exchanging Affections

What Chalmers is saying, in Lewis’ terms, is that if we want to stop being satisfied with mud pies in the slums, we must passionately pursue the holiday at the beach with our great king. We have to exchange an old affection for a new one—Christ.

What are those things that stoke your love for Jesus? Pursue them passionately.

What are those things that squelch your love for Jesus? Avoid them actively. 

As we do, we will find ourselves more and more satisfied in Jesus and less satisfied with the mud pies the world has to offer.

What are you pursuing today?

 

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