For the prospect of transformation to a life of love has for us the intimation and attraction of an ultimate truth: it is in the surrender of my false self with its claim of full autonomy, and in letting love become the dynamic central reality of my life, that my true self will be most fully realized. But this means beginning to follow Jesus along a path which must take me in a direction directly opposite to my instinctive self-oriented choices. It is “shifting my center,” away from my self, to self-giving, in love. This is precisely Jesus’ meaning — that I only discover who I am and possess my true identity by “losing myself” for his sake.

This deeply challenged me. What this quote (and of course Jesus Himself in the gospels) implies is that I need to stop worrying and come to him every morning with the question, “Who can I sacrifice my life and time for today in loving service?” Wow!

Ain’t that something… Can it really be that simple and that complex at the same time?

Do yourself a favor and buy Thelma’s book. Lectio Divina is in my opinion a life-altering, spirit-growing practice that connects us to God in an amazing way… And we managed to lose it somewhere along the way.

I have three things to say today. 1st: While you were sleeping last night 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. 2nd: Most of you don’t give a shit. 3rd: What’s worse is that you are more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.

Shocking? Yes. Necessary to hear? Yes. True? Yes.

Meditate on this — read it again… Pray it. And then make a decision to get involved — Somewhere. Somehow.

I have long been a firm believer that God leads us through our desires and passions. See, when I gave Jesus the commitment that He can ask me anything, and I’ll oblige, my desires started changing. No longer was drunken parties, late nights on town… wasting money, satisfying earthly lusts, materialism, etc. high on my agenda. My desires started changing.

And… I concluded that since I now want to do what the Bible teaches, these new passions must be a way that God leads me… through his Holy Spirit.

After meeting Mark Batterson at the r(e)formation event of echurch.co.za in Germany during October, I decided to pick up his latest book, entitled Wild Goose Chase. Mark says that the Holy Spirit is like a wild goose, but chasing him is not at all fruitless or pointless — the type of pursuit we have been using the term ‘wild goose chase’ for. Actually, quite the contrary. In the book he shares something that is very helpful in our quest of following Jesus and God through the Holy Spirit.

“In the words of one psalmist, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, NIV). When we delight ourselves in the Lord, new desires are conceived within us. God literally downloads new desires. And those divine desires becomes an internal compass that guides us as we embark on a Wild Goose chase.” – Mark Batterson, Wild Goose Chase, p. 25.

So… delight yourself in the Lord, love Him, and be guided by your desires. Simple right?