WISDOM FROM THE PAST

Lord willing, tomorrow will be the day Karen and Lis will join me in reviewing Ted Tripp's book, Shepherding a Child's Heart. I'm really looking forward to reading this book and gleaning wisdom from Karen, Lis and others who will comment (jump on in Roberta!). Before tomorrow I wanted to share a quote by Fenelon which describes what our motives should be when reading books or listening to other respected, wise Christians. I believe I've confessed this on this blog before, but I think it bears repeating. I have a zeal for knowledge and wisdom that is not always godly. The end result in my quest tends to look a lot like one of those fish that blows up like a balloon, if you catch my drift. Most of the time I flit from one book to another looking for just the right answers to my questions. That's probably the reason why it's hard for me to finish a book and why I am always in the middle of reading at least five books at once.

Anyway, one of the things this book review will help me do is finish at least one of the many books I have already started and yet set aside. I pray that my motive in reading this book and gaining this knowledge will be aligned with what Fenelon says here --

"God can teach more than even the most experienced Christians know. He can teach you better than all the books that the world has ever seen. But be careful about your motives in this eager chase after knowledge. You are aware, aren't you, that all we need is to be poor in spirit, and to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Although being a know-it-all makes us feel important, what is really needed to strengthen Christian character is love. So don't be satisfied with anything less than love. You certainly don't think it possible that the love of God and the dethroning of self can only be reached through the acquisition of knowledge. You already have more knowledge than you can use. You would do better to put into practice what you already know. Oh how we deceive ourselves when we suppose that we are growing in grace because our vain curiosity is being gratified by the enlightenment of our intellect! We need to be humble, and understand that we cannot receive God's gifts from man. The love of God comes to us only from Jesus."

By the way, Fenelon was a 17th century French, Catholic archbishop. And even though he was an ally of Madame Guyon, the mystic, I have still found great insight in his book, Let Go. IMHO, I believe we can learn from those in history who may not have had all their theology straight. Don't get me wrong; I do believe we need to stand firm on the things that are clear and essential for salvation. And we always need to be careful in what we read, that it lines up with the inerrant holy word of God. Some of the stuff in Fenelon's book tends to be a little gnostic, but on the whole I have benefitted from his writing on surrender and death to self. (I have also been extremely blessed in reading Amy Carmichael's writings even though she was greatly influenced by the perfectionist movement that men such as B.B. Warfield rightly denounced.)

May Scripture ultimately be the only standard as we seek to live holy and blameless before Him.

"Thus says the Lord, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the Lord."
Jeremiah 9:23-24

"...Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him."
1 Corinthians 8:1b-3

"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..."
Philippians 3:8a

Lord Jesus, may I have pure motives in seeking knowledge. May this quest bear the fruit of greater love for You and others and in a greater desire to obey You in all things.