Getting More Than We Want

When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected), he often feels that it would now be natural if things went fairly smoothly. When troubles come along—illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation—he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now? Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us…

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself. 

—C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity.

Related quotes:

• Getting What We Want - 1
• Getting What We Want - 2

Sunday's Hymn: Man of Sorrows!

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we;
Spotless Lamb of God was he;
Full atonement! can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Lifted up was he to die,
“It is finished!” was his cry:
Now in heav’n exalted high:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

When he comes, our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

— Philip P. Bliss

Other hymns, worship songs, prayers, sermons excerpts, or quotes posted today:

• The Comforter Has Come at The Happy Wonderer
• The Lord Send Peace at The Upward Call
• The Power of Gospel Music at Theology for Girls
• Blaise Pascal’s Prayer When Sick from Trevin Wax
• Take away the foundation and lose everything at Blogging Theologically
• Lord’s Day 4, 2014 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Your weekly dose of Spurgeon: Woodworking 101 at Pyromaniacs
• Choice mercies of yesterday at Tried With Fire

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

Linked Together: Think Local

For your weekend reading, two posts with a similar theme.

Where You Are Standing
“Christian woman, look where you are standing. Is there someone who needs you? Is there a way you can contribute to your local church? Is there a gift you are not using there, but you’ll use it elsewhere?  … The strength of the church world wide begins with the strength of each individual church, whether in a big city, or a small town like mine.” —Kim Shay in Look Where You Are Standing

Where You Are Planted
“God has   uniquely created each of us  for His own purposes.   I hope you’re  content with   where  He has put  you.    Christian women should be  finding  joy  and  purpose   by  simply  walking with Christ  in every day life.

“As the old saying goes,  ‘Bloom where you’re planted!.’” —Diane Bucknell in The Everyday Christian Woman