choice

"When we look critically at the many thoughts and feelings that fill our minds and hearts, we may come to the horrifying discovery that we often choose death instead of life, curse instead of blessing. Jealousy, envy, anger, resentment, greed, lust, vindictiveness, revenge, hatred ... they all float in that large reservoir of our inner life. Often we take them for granted and allow them to be there and do their destructive work. But God asks us to choose life and to choose blessing. This choice requires an immense inner discipline... We cannot always do this alone; often we need a caring guide or a loving community to support us. But it is important that we both make the inner effort and seek the support we need from others to help us choose life." -Henri Nouwen

at best

"The best of men are conscious above all others that they are men at the best." -Spurgeon

open

"As long as we know that our view of truth is partial we can preserve that humbleness of mind appropriate to the circumstances; but let us once get the notion that our view is total and we become intellectually intolerant. Let us become convinced that ours is the only sensible view and our ability to learn dies instantly." -Tozer

on poverty

I don't know what poverty is. That's why I asked the question. I was wondering what it meant to everyone, because I think it means something different... as it will

I believe our extreme need will be revealed in our poverty and there our dependence on Christ will only suffice.

I believe poverty is a place where God... resides

I believe we are humbled in our poverty and have nothing to boast of

I also believe that I will learn something more of my own poverty and great need for a God

poverty

"Poverty has many forms. We have to ask ourselves: 'What is my poverty?' Is it lack of money, lack of emotional stability, lack of a loving partner, lack of security, lack of safety, lack of self-confidence? Each human being has a place of poverty. That's the place where God wants to dwell! 'How blessed are the poor,' Jesus says (Matthew 5:3). This means that our blessing is hidden in our poverty. We are so inclined to cover up our poverty and ignore it that we often miss the opportunity to discover God, who dwells in it. Let's dare to see our poverty as the land where our treasure is hidden" -Henri Nouwen

a question

I'm asking. what does poverty mean to a Christian?

rich generosity

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." II Corinthians 8:2

humbled

"The Lord sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts." I Samuel 2:6-8

"Get to the end of yourself where you can do nothing, but where He does everything." -Oswald Chambers

"Humans are very seldom either totally sincere or totally hypocritical. Their moods change, their motives are mixed, and they are often themselves quite mistaken as to what their motives are." -Lewis

drink

"...if this is the water you are truly thirsty for, then why do you remain thirsty after you've had a drink?

It's the wrong well." -John Eldredge

the love of God

"The rivalry between all natural loves and the love of God is something a Christian dare not forget. God is the great Rival, the ultimate object of human jealousy; that beauty... which may at any moment steal from me-or it seems like stealing to me-my wife's or husband's or daughter's heart." -Lewis

pain

"...the possibility of pain is inherent in the very existence of a world where souls can meet. When souls become wicked they will certainly use this possibility to hurt one another..." -Lewis

to love

"God knows quite well how hard we find it to love Him more than anyone or anything else, and He won't be angry with us as long as we are trying. And He will help us." -Lewis

man of God

"The adversaries of truth are many, influential, learned, and crafty; and truth fares ill at their hands; and yet the man of God has no cause for trepidation." -Spurgeon

to learn wisdom

"If those who spend so many hours in idle company, light reading, and useless pastimes, could learn wisdom, they would find more profitable society and more interesting engagements in meditation than in the vanities which now have such charms for them." -Spurgeon

incognito

"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake." -C.S. Lewis

He accepts

"It is hardly complimentary to God that we should choose Him as an alternative to Hell: yet even this He accepts." -C.S. Lewis

disregard

"We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it."

to light

"Our Lord and God, You are my lamp. You turn darkness to light." 2 Samual 22:29

"we are... perplexed, but not in despair" 2 Corinthians 4:8

the prodigal

"I still live as though the God to whom I am returning demands an explanation. I still think about his love as conditional and about home as a place I am not yet fully sure of. While walking home, I keep entertaining doubts about whether I will be truly welcome when I get there. As I look at my spiritual journey, my long and fatiguing trip home, I see how full it is of guilt about the past and worries about the future. I realize my failures and know that I have lost the dignity of my sonship, but I am not yet able to fully believe that where my failings are great, 'grace is always greater.'" -Henri Nouwen

(or burden)

"friendship arises out of mere companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). . . ." -C.S. Lewis

what a friend...

"Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer"

joy

"I take joy in doing Your will, my God" Psalm 40:8

pain

"We are not merely imperfect creatures who must be improved: we are, as Newman said, rebels who must lay down our arms. The first answer, then, to the question why our cure should be so painful, is that to render back the will which we have so long claimed for our own, is in itself, wherever and however it is done, a grievous pain." -C.S. Lewis

trust

"We ought not place too much trust in ourselves because we are often without grace and understanding, and whatever little glimmer of understanding we do have we quickly extinguish by our negligence." -Thomas a Kempis

the aroma of Christ

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

speak with honesty.

"But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what He wants. Then the other things will be yours as well." Matthew 6:33

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13