Do you have a ghostwriter?
CROSS PURPOSES # 74
9 February 2007
Do you have a ghostwriter?
A friend recently gave me a book on “The Power of Praying Together”. It’s by a lady called Stormie Omartian, together with Jack Hayford (“Majesty, Majesty…”). My friend didn’t want to push but thought I really should read the first two chapters. So far I’ve managed the Foreword and the very last sentence caught my heart. She describes how this book was written by “ – Pastor Jack and I and, shall we say, a ghostwriter?”
What a profound statement. We know that many “autobiographic works” are actually written by ghostwriters. The sporting hero or celebrity tells their story and it’s written into book form by the ghost!
So here’s the question. Is the script of your life being written by you? Or is it being written by the heavenly script writer aka the Holy Spirit? Who’s running my agenda? Fred or the Paraclete – my own personal guidance officer? The idea of the Holy Spirit as ghostwriter of that script is fascinating, challenging, forbidding and comforting all at the same time.
Christians puzzle endlessly about how “to live the love born within our hearts” by the Holy Spirit, as the story of Jesus the Redeemer penetrates beyond our physical ears. The broad stroke answer is that we imitate Jesus Christ himself. He endlessly calls us to follow him, to ‘do as I have done’, to love as he loved and loves us, to forgive as he forgave and forgives us. The shape of our life increasingly reveals the shape of Jesus Christ, and the Cross he carried, and the victory he lives, at the Fathers right hand.
All of that needs to be fleshed out indetail. The story textof our lives needs working out. And that’s where the ghostwriter steps in.
How does he do it? He has a freedom to prompt us from inside (where he lives in the temple of the Holy Spirit). As we hear the gospel, and the wrestling with its meaning that occupied the apostles and prophets, he begins to nudge. Challenges our misunderstandings here. Convicting us about “truth” there. Alerting us to sin and rebellion. Sharpening consciences distorted by our history of justifying, and excuse making. Affirming our place anew, by grace, in the Fathers’ heart. Opening our eyes to see the world and its people as the Father sees it. Growing compassion in us for the lost as Jesus does it. Nudging us to pray, praise and give thanks, wherever we can. Daring us the trust our Father regardless of what our eyes see. Always holding before us the Cross-way of Jesus.
Our scripts begin to change. As husbands, wives, parents and children, employers and employees, as servant leaders, as people in ordinary communities, as bearers of good news, as men and women of character and authority, as followers of Jesus Christ! Welcome to your ghostwriter!
Fred Veerhuis
9 February 2007
Do you have a ghostwriter?
A friend recently gave me a book on “The Power of Praying Together”. It’s by a lady called Stormie Omartian, together with Jack Hayford (“Majesty, Majesty…”). My friend didn’t want to push but thought I really should read the first two chapters. So far I’ve managed the Foreword and the very last sentence caught my heart. She describes how this book was written by “ – Pastor Jack and I and, shall we say, a ghostwriter?”
What a profound statement. We know that many “autobiographic works” are actually written by ghostwriters. The sporting hero or celebrity tells their story and it’s written into book form by the ghost!
So here’s the question. Is the script of your life being written by you? Or is it being written by the heavenly script writer aka the Holy Spirit? Who’s running my agenda? Fred or the Paraclete – my own personal guidance officer? The idea of the Holy Spirit as ghostwriter of that script is fascinating, challenging, forbidding and comforting all at the same time.
Christians puzzle endlessly about how “to live the love born within our hearts” by the Holy Spirit, as the story of Jesus the Redeemer penetrates beyond our physical ears. The broad stroke answer is that we imitate Jesus Christ himself. He endlessly calls us to follow him, to ‘do as I have done’, to love as he loved and loves us, to forgive as he forgave and forgives us. The shape of our life increasingly reveals the shape of Jesus Christ, and the Cross he carried, and the victory he lives, at the Fathers right hand.
All of that needs to be fleshed out indetail. The story textof our lives needs working out. And that’s where the ghostwriter steps in.
How does he do it? He has a freedom to prompt us from inside (where he lives in the temple of the Holy Spirit). As we hear the gospel, and the wrestling with its meaning that occupied the apostles and prophets, he begins to nudge. Challenges our misunderstandings here. Convicting us about “truth” there. Alerting us to sin and rebellion. Sharpening consciences distorted by our history of justifying, and excuse making. Affirming our place anew, by grace, in the Fathers’ heart. Opening our eyes to see the world and its people as the Father sees it. Growing compassion in us for the lost as Jesus does it. Nudging us to pray, praise and give thanks, wherever we can. Daring us the trust our Father regardless of what our eyes see. Always holding before us the Cross-way of Jesus.
Our scripts begin to change. As husbands, wives, parents and children, employers and employees, as servant leaders, as people in ordinary communities, as bearers of good news, as men and women of character and authority, as followers of Jesus Christ! Welcome to your ghostwriter!
Fred Veerhuis
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 4:04 PM
1 Comments:
Perhaps a question that we should ask of ourselves is "Am I living my life the way I think God wants me to?" If the answer is "yes" then we should also ask ourselves "What exactly can I do for God that he cannot do without me?" Nothing. So we should ask Him to "show us daily how He wants us to lead our life". And then listen carefully and just do what the ghostwriter says!
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