wisdom

I went for a nice walk tonight with my son and friend Isaiah. We enjoyed a couple of Cohiba's and he gave me some wise counsel about trusting God to complete what He promises. I still get frustrated when I cannot influence people the way I like. Isaiah confronted me by reminding me who is in control and that I only need to be true to do what God is calling me to - complaining about others is not it.

In my frustration I tend to think about moving on. Poet and author James Oppenheim said, "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." God has put me in this place for a reason. As I do what He calls me to do here, then I will experience the fullness of His presence. Seeking to find peace elsewhere only brings discontent in both places.

On another note, I read this humorous yet true axiom today...“Church-less Christianity is like sex-less marriage—it can only last one generation.” I like that. As imperfect as our church structures may be, we are called to be in community and without this, we cannot be all that Christ died for.

The quote is in reaction to George Barna's book, Revolution. I haven't read it but would be interested in feedback. Some reviews indicated he is applauding the move away from the local church. Based on history, I would expect that he is simply reporting a trend and writing to help today's leaders make corrections to help believers understand and value belonging to the body. Let me know if you have read it and what you think.