“We long to be transformed, yet our minds are filled with endless trivia and self-centered chatter. To-do list. Worries about the past. Speculation about the future. We forget to live in the present moment, and to invite God to be with us there.”
As I began to read the Introduction to Present Perfect, by Gregory A. Boyd, I knew God was going to use this book in amazing ways.
I’d chosen this book for our next book to read together solely based on reading the Amazon.com reviews for it after having received it from a friend.
I didn’t know much about the book, but I loved the idea of finding “true spiritual transformation” while practicing “the discipline of inviting God into every moment.”
I don’t know about you, but I find myself forgetting to include God in my moment-by-moment life. He’s there in my daily life (through time in the Word and prayer), but remembering that He’s with me every step of the way – that I’m in His presence every moment of the day – that’s a struggle for me.
The quote above is from the back of the book, and it SHOUTED at me. My mind is so full of endless trivia (I love Jeopardy) and self-centered chatter (have you read my “random ramblings” posts?), and I need to clear the clutter. I need to be living “in the present moment,” fully aware of God’s presence there as well.
“My trivial, self-centered mental chatter about the past and future… had kept me from seeing the glory of God that surrounded me every second of every day.”
So, I invite you to come on this journey with me. Let’s begin to be more intentional about doing life – about living in each and every moment – and finding God there.
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{Quotes of Note} from Introduction: NOW is Where God Lives…
* “Our focus determines what we experience – and do not experience – in any given moment.”
Colossians 3.2a “Set your minds on things that are above…”
Hebrews 13.1a “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”
* “God is the God of the living, not the God of the already-past or the not-yet-present. He’s the great ‘I AM,’ not the great ‘I was’ or the great ‘I will be’.”
Exodus 3.14 “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’.”
* “What matters is not profound spiritual experiences, though we thank God when they occur. What matters is that we remain awake to God’s ever-present reality every moment, however trivial these moments might otherwise seem.”
* “Remaining awake to God’s presence in the present moment is the single most important task of the Christian life and… no spiritual discipline is more foundational or transforming than this one… The simple practice of remaining aware of God’s presence each moment brings me to the point toward which all other disciplines aspire.”
* “Waking up to God’s presence requires nothing more than remembering God’s presence each moment… The challenge is not in doing the discipline: it’s in remembering the discipline.”
“The material in this book – and in any other book or seminar, for that matter – will remain mere information unless you are intentional about applying it to your life. Gathering new information is easy: translating it into transformation is the challenge.”
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Share with us YOUR thoughts. What stood out to you?
What questions did this section bring to mind? How is God working in YOUR heart?
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Want to read along with us this summer? Join us as we read through Present Perfect!
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