Progression?

Written by cycleguy on September 12th, 2017

I’ve been using Whiter Than Snow by Paul David Tripp during my morning Quiet Time in addition to my Bible reading and New Morning Mercies. I read one devotion per week, rereading it each day, looking for something new to ponder.

This week’s is entitled “Sinners and Unafraid.”  I’m not exactly sure why that title but it is the first line that I read which gave me the thought for this post.

The older you get the more you move from being an astronaut to an archaeologist. (p.53)

Hmmmm. What exactly does that mean? Maybe this will help. “When you’re young, you’re excitedly launching to worlds unknown…But as you get older, you begin to look back at least as much as you look forward.” (p.53)

That makes sense to me. Like most ventures, the life of being a follower of Jesus is initially something exciting. Like putting on clothes just purchased, or a new car with that “smell,” or finding ourselves heading out for a first-time foray, there is something exciting which happens inside us. We are like an astronaut seeing things for the first time.

But then life hits. We get older and life is no longer like a box of chocolates. (I wish). As life hits, we begin digging into our past, sometimes looking for that missing piece of puzzle. That one thing which will help explain why we are as we are. Why we react the way we do. Why we are making the choices and decisions we are making. Why does this make me happy or sad?

I confess to having done some archaeological digging in my own life.  It’s almost a necessity these days to figure out how we perk. But it definitely reminds me I share something with every other person on this planet. It is called a sinful nature and no matter how I try, I cannot become perfect or sinless. I have also learned something else, something much more important: I must rely on God’s grace to accept me, that it is not based on my performance, my past (no matter how good or bad), my upbringing, or my “religious efforts.”

Progression comes when I become more steeped in God’s magnificent grace.

 

10 Comments so far ↓

  1. Lisa notes says:

    So how wise you are…”I read one devotion per week, rereading it each day, looking for something new to ponder.” I love that idea, Bill. Too often I rush through some reading and miss the real meaning. But to read it several days in a row is surely a way to let it sink into our souls and give God opportunities to get our attention.

  2. You are absolutely spot-on with this observation, Bill. And while it’s not a sin per se to look back at where we’ve been and how our experiences have shaped us, we do need to rely on God’s grace to move forward, not blaming or regretting something in the past, but willing to move forward each day with His help.
    Blessings!

  3. Linda Stoll says:

    Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.

    Thanks for the wise words that brought this song to mind, Bill.

  4. floyd says:

    I like that quote. Makes a ton of sense. And of course I’m with you on grace. Everyone in the world experiences it… even if they don’t admit it. That’s Love, brother.

  5. pam says:

    I love “The older you get the more you move from being an astronaut to an archaeologist.” I have definitely traded my spacesuit for a pickax these days! Good post, Bill.

  6. Ed says:

    I read something recently about running the race to win. How it’s useless to look back as we are heading full speed ahead. It works in theory I guess, but in reality it’s really hard to do.

  7. TC Avey says:

    Our small group is doing a Parenting study by Paul David Tripp and it’s great. I’ll have to check out this book too. It sounds really good.
    This past summer I read “Back to Joy” by Toni Daniels. It is alot of reflecting on our past and seeing how that can influence who we are and the decisions we make. And how God can heal old hurts and bring us joy.
    I’ve been reflecting a great deal this year. It’s been a year of growth and hard lessons being learned.