Romans 12:2 and tug of war

Transformation by the renewing of your mind does not occur through the nine or 10 things you are doing well because they come naturally to you and are the kinds of things you would probably do anyway.   Transformation happens at the place of your greatest weakness, in the tug-of-war of Spirit and flesh (Galatians 5:17) when you decide you are willing to die.
 -Andree Seu Peterson

Do you see sheep without a shepherd? Do you feel compassion?

Teach them!

When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:34

Listen to the preaching of the word like your life depends on it

because it does.

Ive chosen a new year's resolution. read my bible, listen to what it says, trust and obey. easy enough right?

And thanks Mr Watson, for this:

determine to PRACTICE whatever you read. Christians should be walking Bibles, living the truths written. the Word is not only a guide to knowledge, but a guide to obedience. a holy reading of God’s Word results in our fleeing from sins and practicing the duties commanded.  
 — Thomas Watson (c. 1620—1686)

In summary, obedience is a great way of commenting on the bible.

ultimate empathy

i can't get enough of Jon Acuff. usually hilarious and satirical, his writing gets serious and sweet sometimes and it's worth leaning in and taking note.  i tucked one of his recent posts away because it struck a chord with me and reminded me of the empathy of Christ. . .  you might love it.

I know, my son, i know. i know, my daughter, I know. that thing you wanted is not going to happen. not the way you’ve always dreamed. I know this hurts. I know this stings. I know you feel like I am distant or not aware of where you are and what you think life was supposed to be like. I know in moments like this you doubt that I can count the hairs on your head or have your best in mind. but please, I am not done. I have barely started to reveal your life to you. I am the God who satisfies your desires with good things. . .  and when it comes to your hopes and your fears and your dreams, I know, my son, I know.

there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.  therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

subject to none, subject to all

a Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

 -martin luther

it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. . .  you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

come Lord Jesus, with a hope that does not put us to shame.

"Come Lord Jesus," the Advent mantra, means that all of Christian history has to live out a kind of deliberate emptiness, a kind of chosen non-fulfillment. Perfect fullness is always to come, and we do not need to demand it now.  This keeps the field of life wide open and especially open to grace and to a future created by God rather than ourselves. . .  When we demand satisfaction of one another, when we demand any completion to history on our terms, when we demand that any dissatisfaction be taken away, we're saying as it were, "Why weren't you this for me? Why didn't life do that for me?"  We are refusing to say, "Come, Lord Jesus." We are refusing to hold out for the full picture that is always given to us by God.

"Come, Lord Jesus" is a leap into the kind of freedom and surrender that is rightly called the virtue of hope.  The theological virtue of hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level. . .  We are able to trust that Jesus will come again just as he has come in our past, into our private dilemmas and into our suffering world.  Our Christian past then becomes our Christian prologue, and "Come, Lord Jesus" is not a cry of desperation but an assured shout of cosmic hope.
 -richard rohr, Dec. 6th  huffington post

we boast in the hope of the glory of God. not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

if the world's exploding with love, what about my 'dreadful thoughts'?

there are two ways to look at this universe we’re stuck in. one is to see it as vastly sinister, mocking our desires. the other is to see it as exploding with love, inviting our trust. if the first is true, we should rage at everything, especially the (apparently) positive things. if the second is true, we can never despair, no matter what happens.
 -ray ortlund

whenever the devil pesters you with (dreadful) thoughts, at once seek out the company of men, drink more, joke and jest, or engage in some other form of merriment. . .  when the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: "I admit that I deserve death and hell.  what of it?  does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? by no means.  for I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf.  His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  where He is, there I shall be also."
 -martin luther