Is This Really Post 200??

Wow, what a cool little anniversary to hit. 200 posts. Alrighty.

So, today I went and saw Napolean Dynamite. This has been the "sleeper" word-of-mouth hit of the summer. Erin thought I'd get such a kick out of it that she paid my way.

Thank goodness I didn't have to spend one red cent.

I'm not adverse to stupid humor at all. I hold Dumb and Dumber in high esteem and even have been known to laugh uproariously at portions of Dude, Where's My Car? And I can see why others might find Napolean Dynamite funny. But I didn't at all. I felt the characters were all so unlikeable and one-dimensional that I couldn't care for them at all. I didn't like Napolean; the entire movie I wanted that magic ticket from The Last Action Hero so I could go onscreen and de-pants him. The problem with it is that it wants us simply to laugh at his hero. He's a depressed, angry kid who doesn't really have a genuine emotion at all. The other problem is that everyone around him is just as unlikable. There is not a single person for us to relate to. At least with Dude Where's My Car we can laugh because those two stoners are so over the top stupid but kind of sweet. In Dumb and Dumber, Harry and Lloyd exist in our normal world and so we have a point of reference. Here, everyone is just as inane as the hero and the hero is the type of person you would go out of your way to avoid. Ugh. Not my cup of tea.

But, on the plus side, I got a new book tonight at Borders. A few weeks ago Aaron Lawless had recommended John Piper's book The Pleasures of God to me. Although I was just getting back into Desiring God, I decided to pick it up and start this one because a new book is always great to delve into. I've only gotten through the introduction, but I've spent much of the night just chewing on that. Piper spends most of the introduction focusing on a quote from 1677 and author Henry Scougal.

"The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love."

In other words, as Piper quotes:

He who loveth mean and sordid things doth thereby become base and vile; but a noble and well-placed affection doth advance and improve the spirit unto a conformity with the perfections which it loves.

So that got me thinking. Obviously, the greatest thing that I could love would be God. That shouldn't be a surprise. In Matthew 22:37 we're commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And I'm sure that it's easy enough to say I love God. Most Christians spout that out without a second thought. But as I went on my walk tonight I began to meditate on that.

If I truly loved God with everything I am, than wouldn't I be a better type of person? If all that I prized was God, then wouldn't my actions follow? If that's not the case, and I constantly find myself ashamed of my actions and words, then maybe I don't love God as much as I thought I did or should. So I asked myself two questions to gauge how well I'm thinking of God as the most valuable thing in my life.

First, if I love something, it's going to be something that brings me joy. After all, we're told in Psalms 1 that the blessed man's delight is in the law of the Lord. We're told to rejoice in the Lord. The word "gospel" simply means "good news," and good news should make us joyful. So am I deriving my joy from God and all that He offers?

Sadly, I look at my life and I see so many areas where I'm doing just the opposite and turning to sin for a moment of happiness. It feels so good and justifable to make a snide comment about a customer, to just "vent" in traffic, to just entertain those illicit thoughts for a moment or so. But of course, like any sin, those drive me to me knees after I feel empty and rotten. So I look and see that there are far too many areas where I am not delighting in the Lord, which shows just how much I need to depend on Him to increase my love for Him.

After all, if I love something or someone, shouldn't it bring me joy? After all, I love my friends. My friends make me happy and I take immense joy in being with them. I love movies and I have moments of joy and reflection when I see a good film. In and of themselves, those things aren't bad. But why do I turn to those things for joy when times get tough instead of running straight for God's word or bowing my knees in prayer? Shouldn't He be my refuge instead of people who will fail me and films which will disappoint me.

Going back to Psalm 1 also helped me with my second point that I was meditating on. Because it says the blessed man's "delight is in the law of the Lord and on this law he meditates day and night." I don't think it means that he loves the law because he meditates on it day and night, because obligation rarely produces love. But, like a man will want to be with his love day after day, this man returns to the Word day and night because He loves it so much.

So where are my thoughts? Far too often my thoughts at work are on the clock and the relaxation awaiting me after a hard day. My thoughts are on what I'll do for entertainment or how I'll spend money or how I'll get out of my job. Far too often my thoughts are on my worries and stresses... the very things that I'm seeking to avoid become idols as they rob my thoughts of time that could be spend meditating on God's Word. Yes, I do my devotions and yes I have my time in prayer. But day and night? There's a long way to go.

And so I realize that my love for God is so much weaker than I want. I'm so thankful His love for me is infinitely stronger. I'm so thankful that His love and His patience will help me grow and mature and love Him more. Because on my own, I would be lost.

C-Dubbs