A Book I Found Interesting

Recently I read the book, The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus and found it thought provoking. Now I have heard a lot of hype about this book and I am not going to tell you that it changed my life or that it radically restructured my entire view of things, but it was an interesting read. There were a couple of quotes that I found rattling around in my head after reading them. I thought I would share two of them with you here and if you find them interesting, you can pick up the book for yourself.

"The barbarian understands the story we're in.......good people die, that men and women who make heroic choices do not always live to tell their own tales. Sometimes another must tell the stories of their lives, recall the memory of their courage. The civilized view of Jesus is that He always comes through for us. Like Superman, He always shows up just in time to protect us and save us from disaster." pg. 43

Well, if you have lived as a Christian very long, you know that it doesn't always turn out the way we think it should. I think sometimes it's good to remind ourselves that while God is a good God, his primary goal is not to make sure that we are happy, content and living the easy life. Otherwise those living in the third world, struggling to get by and still clinging to their faith in God would have wonder if God just didn't love them as much as He loves those of us in the West.

"We look to Jesus not to fulfill our shallow longings or to provide for us creature comforts. We look to Him to lead us where He needs us most and where we can accomplish the most good." pg. 54

God's ultimate goal is that people know Him and He wants to use us how He chooses to bring about that goal. For some of us that will include comfort and an easier life. For some, it may mean the loss of life or something we hold dear. That is where we have to trust the heart of God as He decides which way our lives will go.