Anyone remember Steve saying this?

[JimR]

I cannot remember it 100% verbaitm, but I remember hearing Steve talking about the difference (yes, there is one) between a problem and a fact, and he said something to the effect of, "One of the joys of the Christian life is that of whittling down your problems until they become facts that you can't do anything about, and then giving them to HIM."

Anyone remember anything like this?  I'd love to find the whole thing in context to share it with folks.

(Yes, Steve, if you read this, I'll give you credit.   )


Jim

[JimR]

ANYBODY???

[Kings_kid]

I'd like to find that teaching also.  Seems to fit in with the well-used Serenity Prayer, which is near and dear to my heart.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change,
the courage to change the things i can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There's so many situations that seem like problems that i can't change until i see the fact that i need serenity, courage and wisdom from Him, or i'll normally make things worse.  Hope you can find the original S.B. wording.  Say, could you ask that on the "Questions for the radio program" type forum, and get it right from the equine's mouth?

[JimR]

I am thinking I might have it on a tape somewhere - part of a series that Steve did.

May take awhile to find...



Jim

[crowwoman]

Don't you hate it when you can't find something you know is out there ... that can be worse than getting a song stuck in your head!

[Kings_kid]

Yo, crow, the thing that gets stuck in my head sometimes is your signature line -

WHAT IF IT REALLY IS ABOUT ME???

I'm sure He has His reasons for this....  (-:>

[crowwoman]

 
There's a reason behind this. I had a former pastor who was really big on the Purpose Driven Life ... and of course, the first line to that book is "It's not about you". Well, my premise is ... Christianity is the most personal of all faiths ... and if it's not about me, if the Cross wasn't about me, if the Empty Tomb wasn't about me, then why bother?

[JimR]

Both you and Warren are correct, IMO.  I've met people who need to hear about the personal love that God has for THEM.  And, I've met people who DO seem to very much believe, "It's all about ME", and really NEED to hear "No, it really isn't - it's about HIM."

Different strokes for different folks.

By the way - I think I know where that quote is....

Jim

[crowwoman]

Since I posted that as my tag line, I've become more aware of what Warren was talking about and you're right ... there's room for both points of view.

So you found your quote ...glad to hear it. Sorry I am such a hijacker!

[JimR]

No worries, CW.  Heaven knows, It's taken me long enought to track the thing down - now, only GOD knows how long it will take me to find the time to transcribe it in its context and bring it here.



Jim

[mybigGod]

I'd like to find that teaching also.  Seems to fit in with the well-used Serenity Prayer, which is near and dear to my heart.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change,
the courage to change the things i can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There's so many situations that seem like problems that i can't change until i see the fact that i need serenity, courage and wisdom from Him, or i'll normally make things worse.  Hope you can find the original S.B. wording.  Say, could you ask that on the "Questions for the radio program" type forum, and get it right from the equine's mouth?

 If we were able to change a thing as a matter of knowing the difference then we could be the arbitrator of a certain standard in this life. Obviously we make judgments based upon our own experience. I cant come to the point where i see a truthful comparison. I mean...if the principle of life was that i put the good things i do and the evil things that i do and compare them.. see what i can do about the evil..then that is my personal experience. But if i determine that it is the principle to be followed by everyone else then that may be something that i need to change. I like to say that its God who works in me for the good and i work that out.
Under that banner the evil things that we do are not our initial responsibility to work out. This saves us from our personal agendas. The bible calls us to a radical way of thinking. I do not think that how we learn to live...... is personally a working principle in the instruction we receive from one another. The narrow way to receive instruction creates in us a true understanding of the difference between our personal agendas and the nature of goodness. In other words if we are talking about a particular form of counsel ... we are talking about a very particular way that it becomes a healthy voice.
Biblical counsel is that voice that points us to trust in God alone as our only refuge. Biblical counsel points us to dependence. This is why there is a warning about counsel that gives certain qualifications to reality but comes with the harshness of the spirit of the law. On the one hand all of the ways of God are peace... every advice outside of that counsel is the way of strife. What we are saying here is that just as the heart is wicked... full of envy ... murder... strife... so the heart lust after hard words. James says.. where does strife come from? It comes out of the selfish ambitions of man... or it comes from the man who has no thoughts of God. Please listen to me... i am bringing many different scriptural references to you. I am desiring that we be encouraged to go to a God who is really good. I am answering the question from the counsel of the world... Where is your God? Or it comes as the buttress from mens hardness. The ways of God are love joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. You neglect the weighter matters of the law like compassion, faithfulness... love and mercy!
Because the counsel of men has words of scoffing and strife. The hardest teachings are the ones that are easy to understand but impossible to think are the rite ways to go. Listen to me... we are naturally disposed to walk in a difficult way in order to prove that the gospel is good. Communicated grace is not natural to our way of talking. Now i warn you as i do myself every day... do not walk in the counsel of the wicked ... or a man who does not think thoughts after God... stand in the way of the scoffer... a man of hard words who stirs up strife... or sit in the seat of the scornful... a man who distinguishes his ways as a way to get to God... If you say... is this a way of peace? and you say... no this is a hard way! then beware. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me... my yoke is easy and my burden light. We are distinguishing between two clearly different paths in this life.

[Kings_kid]

The underlying problem of addiction is a life lived apart from God.  Self-will run riot, as the "programs" say.  An addict-type personality (who isn't one?) is continually trying to change things they cannot, refusing to accept the things they need to, and never really depending on God for the serenity, courage, or wisdom to be able to do either.

So, growth toward Christ is to fully depend on God for the guidance to do the "next right thing" (wisdom to know the difference), for power and ability to make the modifications He wants us to make in our lives (courage to change), and for patient, peaceful acceptance of His Will when we are not guided/empowered to change something in our lives (serenity). These gifts come to us from our perfect Dad through the Son through the Holy Spirit, all to lead us to a more full revelation of Himself through our lives.

"My sheep hear my voice and they follow me... my yoke is easy and my burden light. We are distinguishing between two clearly different paths in this life."

Yes, and the sheep have to learn to hear His Voice.  It is through our prayers for (and acting on) His serenity/peace, His courage/power, and His wisdom/guidance that we begin to hear Him more clearly.  And in this practicing, we can't help falling in love with Him in the process -- the process of His love for us revealed.

The final goal is complete lack of self-dependence and self-direction, and total dependence for all things on the All-Sufficient One.

[Kings_kid]

Hey, sorry all, i "hijacked" the thread, as i hear folks humbly admit.

So where is Stevie's original talk about "One of the joys of the Christian life is that of whittling down your problems until they become facts that you can't do anything about, and then giving them to HIM"?

Got any snippets, Jim?

[klab]

what makes you think Jim would be snippy? or did the word snippet not translate to the lingo of klab?

[Kings_kid]

That's kute, klab!  Maybe you didn't see that i meant some snippets of Stevie's talk on "reducing problems to facts to be turned over to Him"?

Didn't expect Jim to snip my head off.  Although maybe i deserve it, come to think of it....

Heaps of peace on ya.