"I pray for a clear eye to see through the fog of popular opinion, and a will strong enough to withstand the currents--a will surrendered, laid alongside Christ's. He is my model. This means a different set of ambitions, a different definition of happiness, a different standard of judgment altogether. Behavior will change, and very likely it will change enough to make me appear rather odd--but then my Master was thought very odd."
I sent these words by Elizabeth Elliot to a friend at Moody Bible Institute a couple of months ago. I was refreshed to receive a letter from her with the same quote written on it. I desparately needed to hear these words. School has been particularly rough the past couple of days. I have an Appellate Brief due monday that has been absorbing all of my energy. I'm now at the point of exhaustion and want to quit and move to the jungle...if only. These words have been particularly uplifting to me because the Lord keeps reminding me that sometimes He calls us to do things we don't want to do, really hard things. Taking up our cross and following Him means seeing life differently; it means having a different set of ambitions, a different meaning of happiness, and being surrendered to Him- obedient in every task. While I may not want to take on these hard tasks, they are necessary because my behavior needs to change. If I want to be an advocate for the poor and abandoned, I need to be able to write a brief to the court. It's comforting to be reminded that pain only lasts for the night and joy comes with the morning.
Lesson: New ambitions. Different understanding of happiness. The Lord delights in obedience. It's hard!
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