More Hope for Miserable Christians: The Romantic Bookeeper

Nothing will make you miserable faster then seeing other Christians do less and receive more. And by that I mean, that you see others doing less for the kingdom of God and yet their life seems better than yours. They may have a better marriage, a better house, better friends or simply more enjoyment in life. They may have had a spiritual experience that you have not, or seem closer to God and they may just seem happier.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this issue in his book Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Cure. I was helped by the chapter on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt. 20).

The first laborers in the vineyard bargain with the master for their payment, but later when they receive their payment in full, they feel that the master has treated them unjustly because others were rewarded in a greater way then they were.

According to Lloyd-Jones the cure for this type of depression is realizing that things work differently in the New Creation. (2 Cor. 5:17) If we are in Christ, we can no longer act as if the old rules of this world apply.

We must say to ourselves every day of our lives: 'Now I am a Christian, and because I am a Christian I am in the Kingdom of God and all my thinking has got to be different. Everything here is different. I must not bring with me those old ideas, those old moods and concepts of thought.' (p.129)

So how do things work in the Kingdom of God? First of all, says Lloyd-Jones,

Do not think in terms of bargains or rights in the Kingdom of God. That is absolutely fatal. There is nothing so wrong as the spirit which argues that because I do this, or because I have done that, I have a right to expect something else in return. (p. 129)

It doesn't matter how spiritual our actions are. We cannot strong arm God into doing what we want. Even if we stay up all night praying for revival, we cannot make one happen. Only God can bring revival. If we are faithful in our spiritual disciplines, we do not have a right to joy and contentment. If we do good to others, we do not deserve to have a beautiful life.

The key according to Lloyd-Jones is realizing that "Everything is of grace in the Christian life from the very beginning to the very end." (p. 130) Not only that, but you are actually robbing yourself if you try to bargain with God. It is never a good idea to do something for God so that He will do something for you. "If you do, you will get only your bargain; but if you leave it to his grace, you will probably get more than you ever thought of." (p.130) (cf. Matt. 6)

I especially loved his next new creation principle:

Do not keep a record or an account of your work...keep your eye on Him and His glory, on His love and His honour and the extension of His Kingdom.

Lloyd-Jones points us to Matt. 6, "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,...And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

There is no need to waste time keeping the accounts, He is keeping them. And what wonderful accounts they are. May I say it with reverence, there is nothing I know of that is so romantic as God's method of accountancy. Be prepared for surprises in this kingdom. You never know what is going to happen. The last shall be first. What a complete reversal of our materialistic outlook, the last first, the first last, everything upside down. The whole world is turned upside down by grace...His book-keeping is the most romantic thing I know of in the whole world.

I am beginning to realize that it is all of grace in the Christian life--not just my entry into it--but also the middle and the end. And this realization brings a delightful joy and contentment.

Hope for Miserable Christians

If you have never realized your guilt or guiltiness before God you will never have joy in Christ. It is impossible.

So says Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his book Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and It's Cure. I have heard his name often in certain circles, but I can't say that I've read too much of his work. After reading this book, I can now say that I am smitten. His writing is especially insightful. It cuts straight to the heart and I find it very readable.

The second chapter discusses the person who has had a Christian upbringing, always goes to church, and yet is remarkably miserable. This person sees the joy that new believers have and says, "I wish I had been living their kind of life so that I could also have their marvelous experience." Lloyd-Jones exposes the truth underlying this statement. This person does not believe that they are as much a sinner as the other person. I think you would be hard pressed to find a person who admits to thinking this even though deep down this is what they feel in their heart. The devastating result is that the joy of Christ's particular salvation for them is greatly diminished or non existent.

How do I know if this type of self-righteous thinking has crept into my own heart? Here is the test according to Lloyd-Jones:

'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself' (Mark 12:30,31). Forget all about drunkards and their like, forget all the people you read about in the press at the present time. Here is the test for you and me: Are you loving God with all your being? If you are not,...you are a sinner of the deepest dye, whether you know it and feel it or not. (p.30)

And here is another test:

John 17:3: 'This is life eternal to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent'. So the test we apply to ourselves is that. Not, 'Have I done this or that?' My test is a positive one: 'Do I know God? Is Jesus Christ real to me?' I am not asking whether you know things about Him but do you know God, are you enjoying God, is God the centre of your life, the soul of your being, the source of your greatest joy?...You and I are meant to be like that, and if we are not like that, it is sin. (p. 31)

We need to stop thinking about particular sins and comparing ourselves to others. "What determines whether we are sinners is not what we have done, but our relationship to God." (p.34) Jesus Christ is our righteousness. He is the only one who can truly deal with our sin. It is incredibly freeing to look to Him for help and salvation.

Salvation is all in Christ, and unless you feel yourself shut up to Christ with everything else having failed, your are not a Christian, and it is not surprising that you are not happy. (p.32)

Our natural inclination may be to try to save ourselves, but it gets extremely tiring, especially when we realize that it is impossible. Having to constantly prove yourself to God, others and yourself is a wearying task that inherently leads to depression when we fail. As Lloyd-Jones says,

What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! you just begin to say: 'I rest my faith on Him alone who died for my transgressions to atone.' (p.35)

Here is where I've found true, lasting, life changing joy.

Honey for a Child's Heart

Gladys Hunt's blog specializes in children's literature. I resonate with her viewpoint that 'honey' is a good and necessary thing in a child's life. In her own words, "It means finding sweetness in life, like beauty and goodness that nourishes the inner person." I find her blog very thought provoking as I begin to decide what kind of literature I want to expose my children to. She gives a lot of new ideas and help in deciphering a good book from a mediocre one. One of my favorite posts is How to Know the Best Children's Books.