Every Monday I'm going to post one of Jonathan Edwards resolutions. He penned these while still a very young man and used them to guide his life. What am I using to guide me, my family, my ministry???
35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722
- One statement that infuriates me is the classic Christian response of "well I have a peace about it..." It will send me into the stratosphere of rants. Edward flips that when he doesn't have "quiet and calm" AFTER he did HIS DUTY. Then he pauses to examine how the question was resolved. Have you ever used the "I have a peace about it." line to avoid doing something hard?
- I'm also reading a series of books that summarize Edwards thoughts on several subjects (you can find a link in the What I'm Reading section of this blog.) In the book on "The Good Life" the authors write this about Edwards view from his sermon "Charity Contrary to a Selfish Spirit"
"The happiest Christians are not those who manage to accomplish all of their personal goals. Rather, the happiest Christians are those who embrace what God wants for their lives. Thus the irony of faith reveals itself once again. Once does not become happy by liberating oneself from duty; one becomes happy by obeying and following the plans of the Lord, who in turn provides that happiness one naturally desires"
If you care to read Edwards exact sermon this is distilled from Edwards Works 8, 259
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