Book Review: Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart – Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul
By John Eldredge
(Nelson Books 2001, 222 pp)

This book is for young men, husbands and fathers who are seeking a biblical definition of masculinity. In a modern society where manhood is largely shaped by the demands of work, Eldredge invites men into a journey of their hearts that will help them to live a more purposeful life for God.

The book title – Wild at heart – suggests that the only way for a man to break out of his ‘Christian boredom’ is a return to his boyhood, when the desires of his heart were still untempered. In fact, those desires – to fight and make a difference for himself and others, to live an uncompromising life and not just ‘settle down’, and to be deeply passionate towards the woman he loves – are still within his heart. However, the devil has his strategies of scarring the heart through life’s crucibles. The challenge, therefore, is to counter those strategies to recover and discover his masculinity.

Society can get by with nice Christians, but increasingly it needs great ones – men with unusual courage and faith who can rise up to the spirited defense of the Church. This book compels the reader to live an extraordinary life for God.

(A book review which I've written for SJSM's Seasons of Life)

Thought of the Day: Depth

"...The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth." James 5:16-17

During today's special fellowship among a few church men, Elijah was mentioned from the book of James. Elijah was someone who went through tremendous highs and lows in his walk with God. There were days when his faithfulness to God was exceptionally strong, and by the same measure, there were days when his depressions were exceedingly great. I remember how sar once text me this verse 'the prayer of a righteous person has great powers as it is working'. Strange that I actually remember the context of why the text was sent. But anyway, although I understand that verse, I have never read the verse in relations to the prayerfulness of Elijah. All of us, in one way or another, are like Elijah, as we all have great and bad days in our walk with God. In fact, James says that Elijah has 'a nature like ours'. But I think it is encouraging that James seems to suggest that righteousness is attributed to Elijah not by who he is, but what Christ has already done - and it is a righteousness that is 'powerful' and is 'working'. I find it hard to understand how I am righteous, on days when I feel a sense of total depravity. But I need to trust in Him, that He yearns to mould me to be a person of great character more than I yearn to do so myself. "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working". A powerful verse indeed.

Thought of the Day: Wisdom

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesian 3:14-19

What do I value more, the knowledge of this world by spending a few years abroad to get a PHD, or the wisdom of God that comes by a daily communion with Him? Sometimes, I think it is also a mixture of pride, escapism and insecurity that is motivating me to get a PHD in the future. Do I have enough faith in God that His wisdom (which surpasses knowledge) is Sufficient for me to counter all the deceptive ideologies of this world? And that His impartation of wisdom will allow me to live a life that is more fulfilling than what a PHD might lead me to? I'm just thinking in broad strokes what I hope to be in say 10 years down the road. There is always that bit of desire in me to be a missionary when I'm 40 and beyond, hopefully doing it together with a new family, and counting on God to provide daily manna. Such a vision seems quite beyond the horizon now, but I think it matters enough if I am planning to get a PHD within the next 5 to 7 years. Hmmm...

Thought of the Day: Forgiveness

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this...

... Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trepasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trepasses, neither will your Father forgive your trepasses" Matthew 6: 7 - 14

Have I been giving God empty words in my prayers? Have I forgiven others who have hurt me unintentionally or intentionally in the past? What does it mean to forgive in words, in deeds, in thoughts and in my overall spiritual disposition towards the 'debtor'? Is my lack of communication towards that person or persons a reflection of an inward unforgiving spirit even though I have forgiven them in words? Are my prayers empty in that sense? And what does it mean when my Father is unable to forgive me because of my unforgiving spirit? I'll think about it more, internalize it, and write about it in the next few days.

Thought of the Day: Thanksgiving

I thank God for the following:

1) That I have a bed to sleep.
2) Despite my inconsistency in committing to church activities, God has provided me with various opportunities to keep up with mentoring ains and sheng.
3) That He has provided me with friends - sarah, dan, jess, chel, huanyang, june, weiliang, steve, di etc etc - who care to look beyond my incapacity to have small talks with people in general.
4) That He has given me certain spritual giftings even though I am struggling in my faith at this point in time; last week's worship leading, the recently concluded gender-based ministry and yesterday's cell word leading were done not by my strength, but by God's wisdom.
5) That I can see hope and meaning in friends - especially the Dierdens, ailing, little sophie and James - and in myself, even when I really honestly feel that this world is quite meaningless.
6) That I can always constantly come back to Him and ask for forgiveness for my pride and various other struggles, that I do feel vindicated on nights when I pray and seek Him earnestly.
7) That although I have slackened somewhat in my attitude towards schoolwork in year 4, He has provided my with timely interventions and divine motivations to go through an otherwise static and non-critical political education.
8) That He has not given up hope on me, and continue to bring friends to remind me that I'm ok, and that one day, I may in my own humble way glorify God through my giftings.
9) That although mom and dad are somewhere out there in the spiritual wilderness, He has given me a glimmer of a vision that they might be saved one day.
10) That it is ok even if my friend would leave my horizon one day, because I cannot ask for anything more than what He has already blessed me with - a good friendship.

Rebirth

The author has not found the right spatio text,
and so this space continues to reinvent itself.
Time is now compressed, for space has ceased to render meaning.
It is now impossible to examine the interstices of his life... and others.
Flashbacks!
He weeps.
For Joy has finally arrived, at the cost of his life.