Ahem...
Tetherball
Olympic race
Sparkling--
No, wait. This is supposed to be listing out things that stir my affections for God. Let's get that back on track:
*Studying the Word--This would seem to be a no-brainer, but honestly it hasn't always been that way. For a long time I would open the Bible to a passage I was vaguely familiar with and try to study it, usually with little success. Occasionally I would embark on trying to read a book, but not for any particular reason and more often than not would come out confused; I had little framework other than a desire to understand, and I rarely spent any time praying about the issue. I relied upon myself to understand and didn't take time to realize that God is actively speaking through His Word, not just relying on us to interpret things through some magical code. My attitudes and methods have changed considerably, and now I'm able to approach the Bible as it is intended to be approached: as a way of seeing Christ and His way in front of me, that I might seek to follow.
*Reading other books--Right now I'm in the middle of Desiring God by John Piper (as if this blog's name didn't make that obvious enough), as well as the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, which I read before when I was younger. It's very interesting to put the two books side by side: a book that exhorts us to focus our heart's deepest desires on God next to a book that fictionally(?) narrates a conversation between two demons on the subject of interfering with one particular human's affections for God. Going through them, studying the themes and the points they make helps me to start on my own trains of thought, start connecting things together both in the books and in the Scriptures.
*Writing--Here, for example, although this is not the exclusive domain. I keep a couple private journals, one more personal-oriented and one geared toward my reading at the time, the latter of which is found on a series of yellow legal pads I keep around depending on the book and subject. It helps to take the information I've just taken in and digest it into something that I can then use to show myself I really understood it--or, that I didn't, and that I need to keep seeking understanding. It's also useful for looking back on where I've come from.
*Prayer--For beginning or ending a day, dealing with a disruption, refocusing on what's important, pretty much anything, there's nothing better.
This is all the basic stuff that, honestly, any Christian ought to spend time doing. There is more, though.
*Music--This is a tricky one for me. Music can pull me in a lot of different directions, and as a musician I'm rather picky about music. A lot of Christian music does very little for me; it strikes me as Cartmanesque "just replace the word 'baby' with the word 'Jesus'" type music. Added to the fact that much of the music I'm currently spending time listening to--funk, hip-hop, R&B and the like--has little to do with the sort of music they use at church. But the righteousness of the truth contained in the message combined with how much they really mean what they sing has helped give me at least some tunes that help me to cool out and focus past myself, at least to clear my head and get me into a state of mind where I can pray and seek God rather than myself.
Now two completely contradicting ones:
*Time alone--I'm naturally something of a loner, so this isn't so hard. But all of the above away from the hustling around of everyday life is crucial to me moving forward; it's all the more important when I'm on the road, especially since it's hard to find then.
*Time with others--The Scriptures call for Christians to be a part of a community of believers, but that extends beyond an hour or two on Sunday morning. Having people to do life with, to get to know on a deep level, to serve next to, to laugh and cry and pray with, is incredibly important to walking the narrow path. Others hold us accountable, while at the same time reminding us that even when we go wrong God forgives and is always there for us. And yes, that hour or two on Sunday is important as well, to keep us all on course and help us connect on a regular basis.
*Serving others--This is a two-parter; I serve others in the church, and in the community. If I spend all my time taking in and taking in and don't let anything out, I might as well not even begin. That's what James 2:20 means by "Faith without works is dead." Faith does not descend from works, but works are an overflow of the love of God that He grows in us. Now we're starting to get into territory of deeper theology in some ways; the issue of works vs. faith in the role of salvation is key. But the Bible's constant focus on the state of the human heart as the primary issue is the key; works therefore are supposed to flow out from a heart that loves God deeply and desires him most of all. A man who gives money to another man out of a desire to make that man feel as though he owes him, or to gain attention for himself has received his reward already, as Jesus said. But a man who gives to another out of a desire to reach out to another driven by a life lived in a Gospel is storing up treasure in heaven.
I'm sure there's more, and I'll probably update this later, but that's all for now. Tomorrow, the things that push away my affections from God, or at least a small sampling.
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