Total Contentment, Joy And Confidence In Your Everyday Experience of God - A Healthy Soul

John Ortberg, a pastor of a large church, asked his friend and mentor, Dallas Willard, what he needed to do to help his church experience greater levels of spiritual growth.  John was frustrated because the people of his church were not “changing” in the positive spiritual ways he was hoping for.

After John’s question Dallas paused for a long time and said, “You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God.”

John’s response to Dallas’ instruction was:  “Huh?”

They talked about Dallas’ answer and after some conversation back and forth John said this…

“But how can I have total contentment, joy, and confidence? … My work isn’t going nearly well enough.  Lots of people are not happy with me.  I am inadequate as a pastor, husband, and father.  Every week I carry the burden of delivering a sermon and knowing I’ll have to feel the pain it if doesn’t go well.”

Dallas then responded like this…

“I didn’t say you should experience total contentment, joy, and confidence in the remarkable adequacy of your competence or the amazingly successful circumstances of your life.  It’s total contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday experience of God.  This alone is what makes a soul healthy.”

John shares this exchange in his book, “Soul Keeping: Caring For The Most Important Part of You.”  What Dallas told John sounds like a very simple idea but it is profound.  I encourage you to take a moment to quietly, seriously ponder the truth of what he said.  When I read this story earlier today it touched, encouraged and challenged my heart in a significant way. 

I want to find contentment, joy and confidence in God.  I want to find delight in Him, in the midst of all the circumstances of life.  Is that really possible?  I believe it is. 

I hope, as you consider these thoughts, God uses them to do something significant for your heart, too.

Dan Marler

First Church of God

Oak Lawn, IL

The Powerful Teaching of Jesus

Part of what made Jesus’ teaching so powerful was that his teaching was not primarily about helping people learn new facts; it was primarily about changing lives.  John Ortberg writes, “No one took notes when Jesus taught.  Why?  Because it is natural to automatically remember what changes our lives.”

How Has Jesus Changed The World?

Review of:  "Who Is This Man?"

If you were to ask people, “who is the most significant and influential person who has ever lived?” many would say, “Jesus.”  Even people who are not Christians or people who are not particularly religious would be inclined to say that Jesus is the most influential person who has ever lived.

I would be quick to agree with that answer.  But if you were to say to people, “give me specific examples of how Jesus has impacted areas like the arts, or education, or deeply ingrained attitudes about humility, or forgiveness, or the treatment of children,” most of us would probably not be able to offer specific details.

In this book, “Who Is This Man?” by John Ortberg, the specific details are provided.

I find the content of this book to be interesting, compelling and, even, exciting—I should probably admit that as a Christian I have a fairly strong bias in favor of Jesus.  But when a book is really good it also has to with the fact that the author of the book is a wonderfully gifted communicator.  Even with my bias in favor of Jesus, I have read a number of books about him that were… um… well… a bit dull.

That is not the case with “Who Is This Man?”  John knows how to tell stories, he knows how to use humor well, he knows how to communicate in a way that resonates with a reader (at least, he knows how to do it with this reader).

I read approximately 80 books every year.  I can confidently tell you this is one of the best books I’ve read in the past 4 to 6 weeks. 

(I’m kidding… it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!  Seriously, it is.)

Dan Marler

Oak Lawn, IL

Jesus Taught To Change Lives

Here is an excerpt from a fantastic book I’m currently reading…

“Jesus taught to change lives. In the educational system of our day, we tend to think of teaching as the transfer of information. The teacher pours information into the student like pouring water into an empty jug, and the student is evaluated by one thing only: can he parrot back what the teacher said?

“The number one question in any class is (if you’re a teacher you know this), ‘Will this be on the final?’ We all take notes so we can remember until the final exam.

“No one took notes when Jesus taught. Why? Because it is natural to automatically remember what changes our lives. If you were around on 9/11 or when Present John Kennedy was assassinated or when Pearl Harbor got attacked, you remember.”

From, “Who Is This Man?” – John Ortberg