Gaining Perspective

As I prepare to delve into this book again, I feel compelled to go buy some steel toed army boots. God used this book to show me my complacency, my apathy. It left me restless to live wilder, more on the edge for a God who holds nothing back for me. I hope it makes you want to leave all 110% on the field of earthly life.

My first impressions after reviewing the preface, the first chapter, and viewing "The Awe Factor" are all about my insignificance. I need to have a magnifying mirror to look at myself (you know, the ones that make your pores look like moon craters). If I can stand to look that closely at myself and see how miniscule and meaningless I am in the scheme of things in comparison to an unfathomably huge God, I gain a perspective to grow on. In Isaiah 6, the prophet is confronted with Almighty God. "Woe is me. I am undone." I can't even imagine how I would feel. Certainly Isaiah was living in days of unprecidented evil in the kingdom of Judah. They had wandered so far without ever leaving the promised land. Are we so different? We call ourselves a Christian nation; somehow I don't think Christ would agree. I am positive I wouldn't have uttered a word, I would have been too busy trying to tunnel under the holy marble of the temple to get my unholy self far from the presence of He who embodies Holiness.

After developing this perspective, I can then truly marvel at truth. The God who commands the galaxies--who spoke them into existence, designed each cell in my body precisely according to His unique plan. Furthermore, he continues to note the loss of each gray hair I yank. (One day, he'll stop replacing them and I will indeed be sorry.) He uses an electron microscope on steroids to zoom in from His vastness to get down to my level and know me. Even with the foreknowledge of how arrogant and unworthy I would be, he predestined that my shame would be covered by Jesus' blood. He wanted me to be able to meet Him in the throne room. He truly loves me and wants to use my life to display His glory. When we "get it", our response should be faster than Horshack on "Welcome Back Kotter". We should jump at the chance to be chosen, to be picked by God to carry out His holy will.