I've been enjoying "Broken Down House" by Paul David Tripp. As usual from Mr. Tripp, this book is full of honesty and practical ways of applying what you read. For example, this evening I came across this gem of a chapter entitled; Pursue Community. In this chapter we see that we must live out our identity as sinner and at the same time a child of grace. Mr. Tripp goes on to expound on this with the following; "In this fallen world, where falsehood wars against truth and reality battles with delusion, it is hard to remember who I am. When I look into the perfect mirror of the Word of God I see myself acurately and am confronted with my true identity; sinner, yet child of grace. But there are other, less reliable mirrors I look into as well.
Sometimes I see myself in the carnival mirror of culture and it's twisted image of what a successful human being looks like. Sometimes I see myself in the distorted mirror of my own self righteousness, portraying me as more godly and mature than I actually am. Sometimes I see myself in the crazy funhouse mirror, which is the overly positive appraisal of well intentioned friends. Sometimes I see myself in the cracked mirror of daily home life, where what God emphasizes as important is not always practiced. Each of these mirrors offers a representation of me, but with crucial and unbiblical distortions that can drive me to make unbiblical, sinful, harmful decisions.
So, with the tendency to identity distortion within and the danger of it without, I need help remebering who I really am. If I receive that help, I can live with a more cogent awareness of sin and grace, with radically different results than if I seek to live this inherently communitarian life on my own."
Oh how I need community, not in the buzz word sense of that word but true honest soul baring correction giving community, where I am constantly reminded of how great a sinner I am and yet loved beyond all measure because in true community there is a knowing that we are all in the same leaky ship on our own and we all desperately need the Savior, and we all constantly need to be reminded of who we are as sinners yet children of grace.
Do yourself a favor and pick up "Broken Down House" by Paul David Tripp, your soul will benefit greatly from it.
Sometimes I see myself in the carnival mirror of culture and it's twisted image of what a successful human being looks like. Sometimes I see myself in the distorted mirror of my own self righteousness, portraying me as more godly and mature than I actually am. Sometimes I see myself in the crazy funhouse mirror, which is the overly positive appraisal of well intentioned friends. Sometimes I see myself in the cracked mirror of daily home life, where what God emphasizes as important is not always practiced. Each of these mirrors offers a representation of me, but with crucial and unbiblical distortions that can drive me to make unbiblical, sinful, harmful decisions.
So, with the tendency to identity distortion within and the danger of it without, I need help remebering who I really am. If I receive that help, I can live with a more cogent awareness of sin and grace, with radically different results than if I seek to live this inherently communitarian life on my own."
Oh how I need community, not in the buzz word sense of that word but true honest soul baring correction giving community, where I am constantly reminded of how great a sinner I am and yet loved beyond all measure because in true community there is a knowing that we are all in the same leaky ship on our own and we all desperately need the Savior, and we all constantly need to be reminded of who we are as sinners yet children of grace.
Do yourself a favor and pick up "Broken Down House" by Paul David Tripp, your soul will benefit greatly from it.
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