Monday, November 24, 2003
Hunting and Gathering for God
Do you have a Spear or a Hoe?
There are at least two legitimate approaches to living the disciplined Christian life, that of the hunter and that of the gardener. Both approaches help bring the individual closer to God even though their emphasis is different.
Some Christians are "sin hunters." They are always on the look out for sin to take it captive and, like in the Old West when the posse caught a cow rustler, hang the varmint. Their motives are pure and their intent is to get as close to God as possible.
Other Christians are "grace gardeners". The gardener weeds out sin, to be sure, but his or her main job is to make "grace grow" rather than eradicate sin. This person wants so much of God in his or her life that He dominates all of life.
A good gardener does not ignore “sin weeds” any more than the good hunter fails to appreciate the abundance of good “grace game” in his or her preserve. Their focus is different. Their ends, pleasing God, are the same. Knowing how God works in all personality types and all conditions of persons, both are needed. Each of us does well to determine whether we are a “sin hunter” or a “grace gardener” and work at perfecting the skills we need to succeed in our approach.
Do you have a Spear or a Hoe?
There are at least two legitimate approaches to living the disciplined Christian life, that of the hunter and that of the gardener. Both approaches help bring the individual closer to God even though their emphasis is different.
Some Christians are "sin hunters." They are always on the look out for sin to take it captive and, like in the Old West when the posse caught a cow rustler, hang the varmint. Their motives are pure and their intent is to get as close to God as possible.
Other Christians are "grace gardeners". The gardener weeds out sin, to be sure, but his or her main job is to make "grace grow" rather than eradicate sin. This person wants so much of God in his or her life that He dominates all of life.
A good gardener does not ignore “sin weeds” any more than the good hunter fails to appreciate the abundance of good “grace game” in his or her preserve. Their focus is different. Their ends, pleasing God, are the same. Knowing how God works in all personality types and all conditions of persons, both are needed. Each of us does well to determine whether we are a “sin hunter” or a “grace gardener” and work at perfecting the skills we need to succeed in our approach.
