I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find myself suffering from a sense of over-familiarity with God and the gospel. Reading my Bible doesn’t excite me. Listening to sermons becomes routine. Even worship feels common and mundane. At times like these I crave something new and compelling to jolt me out of my spiritual rut. I figure that if I only had a better devotional book, a more powerful preacher, or a worship band with slightly more musical gifting, then my heart would become responsive again. Sin makes us stupid like that.
Of course, I’m not denying that there are better devotional book or more powerful preachers. We should read great books, not mediocre books. We should look for churches where God’s Word and the gospel are faithfully preached. But I often find myself dissatisfied with truths — however poorly presented — that should thrill me.
“A mature Christian is easily edified.”
Two weeks ago I stumbled across that statement by Dr. Harold Best — and it hit too close to home. Easily edified? That doesn’t sound like the Brett Harris I know. To borrow from friend and blogger, Justin Taylor, too often an accurate assessment of my life would reveal that I am easily annoyed, easily irritated, easily impatient, easily hurt, easily angered, easily distracted, easily arrogant, etc. Justin concludes:
Wouldn’t it be great if those who knew us best could honestly say, “It is so easy to edify him. It doesn’t take much. It doesn’t need to be the best sermon ever preached or the most excellent song ever composed or the most powerful book ever written or the most theologically eloquent statement ever uttered. Just the simplest truth was enough to refresh his heart in Christ.”
Not a bad way to pray — for ourselves and for others.
Over the past few months God has been working in my heart to restore a sense of awe and amazement — to ignite the idle sticks of my heart into a roaring blaze — but I am still God’s work in progress. Pray for me, as I pray for all of you, that we would grow together into men and women after God’s own heart.
“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” — Psalm 119:14-16, 32
mmmmm amen!
Thank you so much for this post! This is something I have needed to hear, and have been praying about for a loooong time.
I’ve had times like this also! I find a lot of the time it happens is when things are going good for me. But when I’m reminded that God chooses when I go through the good times, and He has a reason for it, I find that it’s really humbling and reminds me that I need to not become comfortable with the easy. The easy times, are times when I can challenge myself and find ways to help me grow! Thanks for this post!
Thank you so much, Brett! Again G-d has used you to speak to me on exactly what He has been showing me. Thank you for the time and effort you out into this.
Yes! Too often, that also overflows into being too quick to criticize or critique. Not that we shouldn’t be listening to sermons or books without a discerning mind, however, we should be doing what we can to chew the fish and spit out the bones. Enjoy the parts that are good! Enjoy the little things that God sends our way. Enjoy the little parts of worship he gives us. Yes, even if I have sung the song what seems like a million times, listen to what it is saying. Stop and take the time to love it like you did the first time you sang it. We can’t act above the small truths that God had blessed us with in pursuit of bigger great theological truths. Learn to appreciate the small just as much as the big. Take the kids song ‘Jesus Loves Me, This I Know’ How many times have we sung that? We lose it wonder, I thought it was the greatest thing when I was little! Learn to love what He has given you each day!
Brett, you have just described, perfectly, how I feel as a christian!
“Reading my Bible doesn’t excite me. Listening to sermons becomes routine. Even worship feels common and mundane. At times like these I crave something new and compelling to jolt me out of my spiritual rut. I figure that if I only had a better devotional book, a more powerful preacher, or a worship band with slightly more musical gifting, then my heart would become responsive again”
That is exactly how I feel and I always think it’s just because I dont have that hunger for God that I should.
I felt like I was missing the big picture.
Thank you so much for posting this!
I will for sure be praying for you and I hope that I too can be more edified as a christian.
Blessings
Alesia
Amen and Amen! I can also testify to this apathy and self-satisfaction that tends to mask over the space in my heart that only God and the living love of His Word can fill. I find often that those well-preached messages and beautiful music can transfer a spark, but the soggy sinfulness in my soul puts it out again, if I am not seeking His face continually.
May the sticks of my heart not be damp with the pleasures of this world, so that I may burn brightly for His Glory.
Thanks for being His carrier!
Oh, yes, and I will be praying for you and all the others on here, that we may be on fire for His truths.
Psa 119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
Psa 119:165 Great peace have they that love thy law; And they have no occasion of stumbling.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Ceira
A very good point about the songs, Lailee. Sometimes, I sing out the old hymns as though I’m reading the phone book, but other times the old favorites make me cry, only a few hours ago I was singing “Here I am, Lord,” by Dan Schutte under my breath, as I was meditating on my possible vocation to be a nun, and I just started sobbing.
This is a very good post. It leads me to meditate on the idea, “What if I were as easy to edify as I am easy to worry. I worry all the time. A friend can send me a text message with an exclaimation point on it, and I’ll immediately turn grey. As a girl entering high school as a freshmen, I often spend hours thinking, “I’m in Thus-and-So Class, but what if I should be in that other class. Oh, no, What if I end up regretting this for the rest of my life!?”
I wonder… could I be THAT easy to edify? Could I examine my conscience with the same fervency that I worry about losing my friends? Could I spend my time meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary the same way I meditate on worrying about my classes? I’ll try next time I get out the beads.
Wow — Amen. Thank you….
Amen, I agree! I know that feeling, too. I’m rediscovering God in a whole new way now, and completely loving it!!! =)
~Kay Morris
Wow! This is an excellent post! Thank you so much Brett for posting this, it blessed me. I also need to work on this area in my life. It is hard when during praise and worship and a song starts that is not necessariy my favorite. It is hard for me to to enjoy praising God when I can’t stand the song, but then when I read the words to the song I then come to realize that even though this song is not my favorite, it is meant to be used to glorify God. It’s not about me, but Him. I as well as you do desire that sense of amazement. I will be praying that God will restore a sense of awe and amazement in your heart,the other rebelutionaries out there that struggle with this, and me. MAY GOD BLESS YOU GUYS AND MAY YOU CONTINUE THIS AMAZING MINISTRY THAT HE HAS BLESSED YAL WITH:-)
That’s such a great post! I totally agree with that! I’ve been praying that God would stir up the hearts of all the young people of our generation. Our world today is in desperate need of a teenage revival.
~Alesha
That was an awesome post, Brett!!!! I have never really spent much time thinking about that, so that was like a wake up call. I needed to read that. You’re in my prayers.
Thank you very much for posting that!
This is so true to my life and apparently to everybody else’s life as well. It truly is a challenge to continue to be amazed by God and his word and have a passion for him. I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I wish that I could know what it is like to not be saved so that I can be more thankful and appreciate my salvation more. Of course I realize that it is a great blessing to have grown up as a covenant child and I would not have it another way. I will be praying that the things of faith will not grow dull with familiarty, but will rather become more amazing. Thanks for the post!
Awesome, awesome post! God has been working with me and changing me in this, too. He’s been really breaking my heart with the truth of the Gospel, how lost this world is, the hardness of our hearts towards things (like abortion) that break God’s Heart, my intense need to know Him, how little I love Him and others, how little I give Him. I love the language of the Psalmist. Imagine genuinely delighting in, meditating, really fixing your eyes on, not forgetting, running in the way of God’s Ways. I feel like too often I’m like, “Hey, that’s pretty cool…”, like I think about them for a moment then am distracted, like I’m constantly looking around, forgetting, meandering (or at best, walking leisurely) after God’s Ways. May we pursue, love, rejoice in God and His Ways wholeheartedly and with all our strength. Our hearts should pound at the mention of His Name, we should want to fall to our knees at the mention of the Cross, should weep over our cities as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and even when we don’t feel passionate or emotional we should be bound to Him and the truth with a fierce faithfulness. Press on, Brett! Show the value of the Treasure you seek by how you pursue it. 🙂
Wow. What a timely and wonderful post!
It can definitely seem easier to by easily edified in situations like mission trips, Rebelution conferences 🙂 , camps, etc. But in “real life”? Being easily edified can be extremely difficult.
But how can we become more easily edified?
I guess, to answer my own question, becoming more easily edified happens when we immerse our lives in God’s Word and pray, think, and read the Bible every day. Then, we see God’s work in more things than if we leave aside His words to us.
Does anyone have any other ideas about this?
That’s true,
I have been bored lately with our devotions in our every morning life…hmmm, this blog post kind of just jumped out to me…thanks a lot…i will be thinking this one over in my head…
thanks!
Hey Brett,
“A mature Christian is easily edified.”
Thank you for the post. My experience has been much different than yours. When I was going through the deepest, driest desert of my walk with the Lord and at a point of bondage and spiritual “immaturity”, the truth of God’s word was like cool water to my soul. I was glued to the messages at church, listening to each word. I was edified by preachers whose preaching styles I had previously disliked, even despised. I would turn on the radio and just sit and listen to singers who I had really found distasteful in the past. It didn’t matter though, they were singing about God! It was my desperation that drove me to cling to the little light I could see.
So, was I really mature to be so desperately seeking edification wherever I could find it? To be so easily edified? I don’t know. My lifestyle was anything but stable at the time and I still have a long way to go.
My prayers are with your family,
Bean
I love the word edify. I love when the word edify isn’t simply a word, but an action =)
Brett, this hit me hard. It’s definitely something that I have been struggling with for awhile now. I know exactly what you mean about praying for a sense of awe & amazement for our Great God to be restored. It is reassuring to know that I’m not the only one and that we can all pray for each other as we seek to become more mature and easily edified. Thank you for this post.
In Christ alone,
Katie Schmidt
Thanks for posting this. I definitely struggle with this problem. I love how Richard Wurmbrand describes the joy and passion for Christ posessed by recently converted Russians in Tortured For Chirst. It seems our American culture today is simply not thirsty for truth, and we find little joy when it’s presented before us again and again. What a shame.
You said “We should look for churches where God’s Word and the gospel are faithfully preached.” I assume that this statement means that you believe that it’s ok to “shop” for churches based on only two conditions. I don’t think that is what you were really trying to say, but perhaps it’d be good here for us all to consider the positive influence some can have churches that are unfaithful by being a part of them, for what church is perfectly faithful?
Hmm… I wonder how these posts always seem to come right when I need them… This was spot-on. How easy it is for me to lose my excitement and enthusiasm for the Gospel and Christ. I pray so often for zeal and passion; but I never did think before that the problem might be me– and that I am not easily edified! What a good word to think of.
I have also been meaning to share for some time now a little something about ‘Do Hard Things’ in German. I gave an English copy each to three girls at our International Church here in Germany, and all three of them started reading it. The next Sunday, a mom who helps out with the youth group, and the mother of one of those girls, came up to my own mom to show her an article in a German teen magazine about “Alex und Brrrrett Harris” and their book, “Yes We Can”. (Not sure why they changed the title for the German translation). She told us that earlier that morning, she had gone to show her daughter the German article; but before she did, her daughter came to her about this awesome book she was reading in English! I’d hate to call this a mere coincidence… it was Providence. I really think Do Hard Things is going to make an impact on the teens at my church. Thanks so much.
~Meg
Gulp! This is something I have struggled with SO often! Thank you Brett, I really needed this!!
Ouch…I’m going to go spend some time with my only toe that hasn’t been stepped on…
Thank you for that, Brett
Thank you for posting this! I’ve definitely struggled with the same thing. If a book didn’t have a totally new concept to me, I figured I was beyond it. I was definitely bored with the gospel and “Jesus Loves Me.” God has been teaching me that I still need those simple truths.
That was good. Simply put 🙂
I am not a member of a specific church at this time. I’ve been going to 3 churches for various reasons. And I have found myself wishing that one did something one way and the other could maybe do it like this other church does. One thing in particular is the music at the church I’ve been attending the longest. I love hymns, but they are just kind of sung all the same way and seem to drone sometimes. They rarely ever come alive. But this has reminded me that it’s not up to the music minister or how he decides to sing the hymns. It’s up to me if the words will come alive in my heart and soul. And that is only one way that this post has hit home.
Thank you for this post.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Wow, thank you so much for this!!!! I have been struggling with this lately, and this post really hit home. Your blog is such an encouragement to me!
Betsy O, Well said! I can be really intersted in God’s Word at Bible Study or at a great camp, I can grow in Christ, feel mature and learn things. But at home, it just goes away! I’m easily agitated with my family and I just feel so…worldy. Good post
Camille
Thanks for posting this! Goes to show you- you’re not always the only one. I will share this with my friends who are in the same boat as well. Thank you!
sooo true!!!!!!!!
WOW.
my 4 year old daughter is this way. she laughs at EVERYTHING, she is so content, and just the other day, amused herself for well over an hour sitting at the kitchen table with two crayola markers, just tapping them and pretending they were… i have no idea, people i suppose. not that we should be so easily amused by markers, but that we can be so overexposed and desensitized by the bombardment of extremities that we don’t revel in TRUE awe-inspiring greatness and extreme love of the Lord our God, being edified by simply remembering who He is and what He’s done for us, and not so dependent on the next big thing to get us through a spiritual valley.
just this morning we watched “the Nativity” and at the scene where the wise men first saw the great star, it occurred to me the advantage they had in such a miraculous and monumental astronomical staging in their day, when they couldn’t compare it to say, the special effects in the most recent transformers flick.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been struggling with this myself for awhile and I’m glad I’m not the only one. Every time I would go to morning worship…I would say, oh I’ve heard this song over a million times and now I’m bored. I’m coming to realize more and more it isn’t about what me but about God.
God Bless you all!
WOW! Exactly how i feel sometimes!! THANKS!!!
Brett, thanks for describing exactly how I feel at times. While I never tire of worship, I do get tired of the sermons and my Bible-reading at times. Betsy O, that is an amazing truth you have stated.
that is so true, and one of the things that tends to become routine is prayer, I go to a private school and we pray before classes, and that has become so routine that lots of times during the prayer, my mind will sort of wander off to something else.
And like my family prays before every meal, but we “thank God for our food” so much that it starts to not really be sincere. It’s really hard not to fall into the same routines and to not forget about who God really is, escpecially, (well for me at least), if your in a Christian enviorment 24/7. (like at school as well as home) I think thats when God tends to become “smaller” and it’s hard to see him as the huge and amazing person he is.
I think our status of not being easily edified can arise from subtle pride that even we don’t recognize. “Oh, okay, old story, heard that, done that, I don’t need to go over that again.” Please…
The Word of God is alive. Alive. As in, not dead, and certainly not disfunctional. Every element, right down to the punctuation, is alive. Translation? It’s never irrelevant. We may have read a passage a thousand times and think we have it down, but there’s always something more to be learned.
My devo yesterday was from Ron Luce’s book, Mature Christians are Boring. The topic…abstain from alcohol. My first reaction was: *blink* You’re kidding. Abstain from alcohol? Like I really need to hear that? Excuse me, Mr. Luce, but, umm…I don’t drink. It’s not even a desire in my life. I’ve heard this before.
But Ron nailed my pride on its ugly head at the end. He basically said, “Okay, now maybe you don’t drink…so pray that God will give you the power to never drink.”
Ouch.
I’m not guaranteed a smooth ride with temptation eliminated. I’m human. Jesus blood and God’s grace are all that stand between me and eternal judgment.
So guard against pride…like I’m trying to do!
Thanks, Brett, for the post!
I am so glad you blogged about this, Brett. I too read that quote when Justin Taylor posted it, and was really convicted. I’ve been reminded of it many times since I came across it, and need to keep hearing it. This is definitely something I need to work on in my life through the power of Christ. May it be said of us that we were “easily edified”!
amen!
Wow… this is exactly what I have been feeling lately. It struck so close to home it nearly made me wince. Thank you. My prayers will be with you, Brett. We are in this race togeter, may we “fight the good fight” shoulder to shoulder. God bless!
Interesting thought to be “easily edified.” Having been easily dissatisfied, easily crushed, and easily annoyed, I forget that I have been fulfilled more readily and easily with the simplest of truths. This reminds me of the beginning of this summer when I was dissatisfied with my relationship with God and seeking something new and great to fix what I felt was broken and found that a simple statement of His love fixed all of it. Amen to this word.
Wow! This is a great post. This is something that I think about sometimes. I think that sometimes when you’ve been in a church for a long time and have been a Christian for a long time(This happens to me) we don’t feel easily edified.
Huh. I’d never thought about easy edification. That is, not in that form. I’m afraid I fall into that list of “easily annoyed, easily irritated, easily impatient, easily hurt, easily angered, easily distracted, easily arrogant, etc.”
“Sin makes us stupid like that.” Yes! Aren’t we pathetic? We can sit in our rooms with the words of the living God on pages for us to read, legally (for most of us,) and we drag ourselves through it. We let our minds wander during sermons, when people with large amounts of wisdom and resource are willing to take an hour or two to explain to us the meaning of this word in Greek, and how that makes the passage all the deeper. How thick can we possibly get?
Praying for you, Brett. Thanks for praying for the rest of us, and for the post!
I have just discovered your website today, although I’ve heard about it before. Let’s just say that reading over several of the posts here (including this one) have given me a LOT to think about as far as developing into the person God means for me to be. (I also suffer from the ‘I want this and I want it now’ attitude that leaks over into when I listen to ‘boring’ sermons…but this post has definately given me a figurative smack on the head for my pride. XD)
Wow! Thanks for this post!!!
Thanks for that post, Brett. Sometimes it is “easier” to be edified than others for me! I think it goes in cycles. I think that what it boils down to is if you are planning to be edified or not. If you are intentional about being edified when you read, worship, pray, etc., chances are you will be. If you are constantly praying, “God, open my eyes. Unite my heart with yours. Inspire my passion for you. Satisfy me with yourself!” with an attitude of humility you will be edified. But if you get comfortable . . . that’s when the Rebelutionary can easily become complacent!
Every blessing in Christ, brother!
And the hammer hits the nail directly on the head…wham… again.
Great post, it is so good to know that our brothers and sisters share in so many of the same thoughts/feelings/problems.
Lord, may we all grow into men and women after your own heart
~Amen
jes’ comment reminded me of something G.K. Chesterton wrote…
“A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough… It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
I just LOVE this!
[…] Bookmarked a link on Delicious. The Rebelution: Are You Easily Edified? […]
Pastor read a Psalm once in which the writer asked God to MAKE us want to follow Him and delight in His Word. Who better to make us delight in His Word then the One who wrote it? And he understands that we do get dull sometimes and He can, as the hymn says, “Fill us with fire were once we burned with shame.”
I think our status of not being easily edified can arise from subtle pride that even we don’t recognize. “Oh, okay, old story, heard that, done that, I don’t need to go over that again.” Please…
The Word of God is alive. Alive. As in, not dead, and certainly not disfunctional. Every element, right down to the punctuation, is alive. Translation? It’s never irrelevant. We may have read a passage a thousand times and think we have it down, but there’s always something more to be learned.
My devo yesterday was from Ron Luce’s book, Mature Christians are Boring. The topic…abstain from alcohol. My first reaction was: *blink* You’re kidding. Abstain from alcohol? Like I really need to hear that? Excuse me, Mr. Luce, but, umm…I don’t drink. It’s not even a desire in my life. I’ve heard this before.
But Ron nailed my pride on its ugly head at the end. He basically said, “Okay, now maybe you don’t drink…so pray that God will give you the power to never drink.”
Ouch.
I’m not guaranteed a smooth ride with temptation eliminated. I’m human. Jesus blood and God’s grace are all that stand between me and eternal judgment.
So guard against pride…like I’m trying to do!
I agree with Hannah; it is a matter of pride, something we all suffer with-some more then others it seems-I would be the some. But she is right, I know I have heard the Bible since I was very little, but there is always something new, if we are willing to be taught
This was an awesome post! However, I feel like my situation is a tad different than everyone elses. Almost like how Bean said it; I am easily edified though I don’t necessarily count myself as a “mature” Christian. Sure, I go to the library and check out all these great devotionals, become amazed every Sunday by the sermon and worship, have a heart for evangelism and service, but there’s other areas in my Christian journey that sometimes get pushed to the side like prayer and Bible reading. (Also, is there really a such thing as a mature Christian if we’re always on an infinite spiritual journey?) Anyway, thanks Brett for the post! Its made me think.
[…] read an interesting article on the Harris brother’s blog. Here’s a link to it: Post. (Clicking here will take you to their blog) It was about being easily edified. Very […]
There are people in my life who are able to get so much out of so little. They seem to live in a constant state of expectation and anticipation: an expectation and anticipation born out of years of truly knowing God and seeing Him work in their lives and the lives of others. They exude gratitude and an almost child-like delight that is contagious. Thinking of them and pondering this post brings back to mind an earlier entry “To Say, I Have Known God” (if you haven’t read it, please do yourself a favour and find it! =).
I wonder . . . if I find myself bored with God and the gospel, unexcited by His word and His teaching, could it be that I haven’t yet learned to know God? Or have I, in the business of living my life lost sight of the one thing that is most precious? Whatever the reason, if I find myself uninterested, ultimately it means that I have forgotten the most essential ingredient, the one that ought to colour every area of my life. I have lost sight of the wonders of Jesus Christ crucified, forgotten what been saved from. In taking anything for granted, one loses sight of what one has been given. The cross is no exception. I don’t need a new book, a deeper song, or a more articulate speaker; I need to go back to the one foundational Truth. If I never forget the incredible mercy shown me, I will never become dis-satisfied with teaching on it, no matter how dully, or in what form it is presented.
I need to move on, to grow, mature, and learn in all areas, but make sure that I never stop kneeling, with thankfulness, with humility, at the foot of the cross.
Where’s that one modesty blog that I read about in Do Hard Things?
@Haru: I think you’re talking about this.
http://therebelution.com/modestysurvey/
There’s also a link on the side of this page (if this link doesn’t work). 🙂
God Bless,
Cody
If anything puts awe and worship back into a believer its the humble, often obscure, ussually unexpected, ways God reminds us that He does indeed hear our prayers.
I’ve been struggling with this very issue lately. Especially in regards to my future and where I’m going and when God is going to step in and give me some clear direction. I feel like I’m in a little desert of waiting, and its a good place to be. We can accomplish so much in our own lives just by learning the important lesson of waiting. But it can be hard and frutrating too, especially for young people who have their whole lives ahead of them and just can’t wait to see how God will use them around the next corner. And deserts are so dry, so parched. I don’t want to lose my sense of childlike “wonderment” when the view is so flat and uninspiring. Then, just when my heart is really really thirsty and I’m convinced the only well is ten feet under the ground, God answers prayers in unexpected ways.
Thanks for this blog post, it was encouraging to know that I’m not alone in this fight for joy. It’s amazing how often God uses the rebelution to address the very heart struggles I’m dealing with.
In Christ,
Lauren Ashley
Cody: To answer your question, there is such a thing as a mature Christian. The level of maturity has to do with the place in that spiritual journey even though everyone is going to have so far to go in this life. For example a person that has faithfully followed Christ for 20 years is going to be more spiritually mature than someone who just became a Christian yesterday. Hebrews 5:12-14 talks about this. I hope that clarifies it a little.
In Christ,
Phillip
Hey! I just finished your book. I recieved it as a book to read before my missions trip and I was awestruck within the first chapter! I knew there were teens out there who wanna stand out who wanna make a difference and all for God,just like me, but I had no clue where to start. This is an amazing ministry guys! Keep it up!
Much <3 in Christ!
Sam
@Phillip: Thanks for replying (and nice verse)! 🙂 I guess I see what you mean. I think what I’m confused about is that the statement “A mature Christian is easily edified” is not the same as “Someone who is easily edified is a mature Christian”. But anyway that makes sense!
God Bless all who read this,
Cody
That is right on!!
wow!!! way to go!!
Just last night I was around a newer Christian who is obviously so in love her God, and I enjoyed simply watching her! I can remember when I was that way. After dedicating my life to God, it was like I entered into a time of being romanced by the Creator of the universe! What can beat that? Everything was fresh and new. It was exhilirating!
For the past year, I have seen God work tremendously in my life and the life of my family as we serve as missionaries on the island of Guam. You’d think that the fire would be burning so brightly in my heart, but there are times when the flame is dim, even as I study, pray, and sing to the Lord. Thank you for this post. It came at a great time!
-Abby
Totally true! As my Dad always said, only boring people get bored.
Wow. . thats me. Going to church every week isn’t the trill it should be. Thanks for the post! 🙂
Brett, you voiced exactly what is happening to me. Even though I am highly involved in church, (part time worship leading, youth activities, tons of responsibility etc.) it’s so easy just to sit through the sermon and let my mind wander; after I come out, I feel empty, confused, wondering ” What did he say, somethin’ about ….?” If we’re excited for God, then we should be totally moved by each day. I’m workin’ on it, but it’s tough!!
Ha, Nathan, you happen to be in the exact same boat as I am; part time worship leading, youth activites (mostly music), and lots of responsibility. I often feel the same way after a service… and it is tough work.
Praying for you and for all the brothers and sisters who struggle.
~Meg
[…] The Rebelution: Are You Easily Edified? […]
What an honest and encouraging post, Brett. I often get complaints from my friends about these very issues in their own Christian walks. And, yes, I go through this as well.
Thanks for praying for all of us. I’ll be praying for you as well!
God Bless!
Rae
This is so true! You know what I do when I find myself not “easily edified”? I think of God’s grace and mercy that has saved me. When I think of how Jesus shed his blood and died for me, it seems to do the trick. LOL. Remember that we are humans and our nature is to “not” be easily edified. Pray for me as I pray for you.
Byron R. Jones
Thank you for this post… it embodies exactly what I’m feeling right now in my Christian walk. As a church kid, I’ve grown up with the same Bible, same stories, same songs, same messages (however true they may be) for my entire life. I’ll pray for you, man, and I’ll pray for God to help me out of this ‘spiritual rut’ right now and to make me easily edified.
I think that TV and computers are responsible for a big part of disinterest.
That is so convicting. Thank you.
AWESOME post, Brett!!! That’s EXACTLY how i feel. Lord, revive our hearts again!
This post really hit home to me. thank you for posting it. I needed to hear it even if it hurt.
Wow! I feel that I’m a little of both. Sometimes I get bored with things but then if I’m reminded that I’m doing it for God and my faith in him then I usually enjoy sermons more. But I still need work on it so God Please Enlarge My Heart So That I’m Easily Edified.
~Sarah
HEy, Meg,
Thanks so much for your encouragement. AT least I can know that in life your never alone, no matter what you do. I don’t know how old you are but the fact that I’m 14 makes people want you to do everything, pileing on responsibility. No matter how old you are, people love seeing the younger generation succeed. So, they lay it on thick, thanks.
WOW, I have only been to this site once before, but I came back today and was drawn by the title of this post.
I am part of an organization called TEAM where one thing that is emphasized in the program is to “edify people”. We learn to say good things about people when you’re around them and also when they’re not there.
We want to make the habit that when introducing a someone to a friend, you will always mention specific reasons why you respect and admire them. Speak simple, positive, refreshing truth. This makes the friend more confident, but also makes the other person eager to meet him. It has been so healthy to learn that habit in the past few years.
Anyway, with that mindset, “being easily edified” means that I want to be someone where people can easily say good things about me. I need to be a person with character and qualities that are worth talking about.
Is that still “edify”? It seems very different from the meaning in this post?
I really can relate. Maybe much like what David felt in the desert of Judah: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
Thanks for the post!
Thanks Brett– the deeper I dive into the Word and His promises, the more I feel alive. Until you defined it, I didn’t know why exactly. It’s a great encouragement to know that I’m not stagnant in my faith. Thanks again!
thank you so much for the post! ‘a mature christian is easily edified’ is a truly challenging statement! the verse “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) seems to go hand in hand with this truth! thank you so much for the encouragment!! 🙂
Nathan & Meg,
I’m no where near that involved in my church and my mind wanders. I cant imagine having all of those other distractions (for lack of a better term). My mind wanders alot without that. It takes a lot of discipline to balance/combine doing things for God and sustaining a personal relationship with Him. Guys and girls like y’all are always in my prayers! God bless y’all!
Oh man! This has been on my mind for about 2 weeks now. I live in Texas but I’m up visiting some family in Alaska and it seems like I’ve sort of gotten sidetracked away from God. I try to read my Bible often but I’ve found that when you’re traveling, it’s not easy to stick with your normal routine. Juneau, Alaska doesn’t have Air1, a Christian radio station I listen to (air1.com) and I’ve realized just how dependent I am on music in my walk with Christ. I haven’t had the Christian music constantly going in the background so I’ve found myself thinking less about God and my relationship with Him. My dream is to travel the world so with this experience I’ve realized I need to make myself more easily edified if I’m going to do that. As important as encouraging music is, to become so dependent on it is not the way to go.
Thank you! I needed to hear this.
Brett, I know this is what everyone else is saying but this is exactly what I have been feeling like. I’m telling ya, I am ashamed to say this, but you could not have put me better. I struggle with this and I pray that this will change. Thank you for the encouragement! See you on Saturday!
Brett – I believe God is stirring something within a small remnant of believers in our generation. Just recently he laid on my heart the desire to look closer at what His word says about “Becoming a Kingdom People”. I believe that part of this process of becoming a Kingdom People, is that Christ begins to create a sensitivity in our hearts (edification) to Himself and that which He is doing around us.
Brett-
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This hit home for me. I have dealing with what you talked about in your opening statements. This has given me great encouragement. I will pray for you and for my brothers and sisters in Christ. God Bless!
Yes, I think this is a problem many of us have, many thanks for posting this. I’ll always try to remember to pray for renewal in our hearts as it’s something we need constantly. God Bless.
Wow… your opening paragraph described exactly what I’ve recently been experiencing at church. Thank you so much for posting this! I will be praying for myself, as well as all my brothers and sisters in Christ to be “easily edified.”
To Haylye Drew,
God works in awesome ways. Thanks so much for your encouraging post. It’s encouraging to know that their are people out their who care and aren’t all wrapped up in their own problems. God Bless and I’m prayin’ for you to.
God bless.
Sorry Hayley, I spelled your name wrong!!
[…] Are You Easily Edified? – Challenging post from the Rebelution blog. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Reading more than a book.Crazy Little Thing.Mmm, ChristmasDolly Parton […]
I often find that this is the case in my life. So many things such as movies, songs, magazines, books, & etc. draw me away for the excitment that I can find in God’s word. I’ve frequently discovered of myself that I look less & less forward to my quiet time with God. Taking notes from church sermons have helped me grasp more from the message that the pastor is trying to get across. Thanks for this blog, it has helped me realize my sinfulness in my lack for excitment in spending time worshiping God.
I derive pleasure reading it. I fundamental to learn more on this subject.. Thanks in return criticism this extraordinary post.. Anyway, I am gonna subscribe to your victual and I hanker you mail again soon.
sell gucci handbags Mahina Leather with confident Hermes Kelly 22CM for promotion code
[…] little time to read anymore. This has not been entirely a sad thing, because I find myself much easier edified because of it, and readier to be made happy by the happiness of the truth. In the few minutes I […]
I think spirituality is a personal thing that shouldn’t be defined by four walls and a steeple. I have to admit though it is nice to listen to gospel music while on my drive to work. My favorite is the talk shows where they really make you think and look inward to find your morals.
http://z1059.com/