Things that Stir My Affections

For this week's blog, I want to share a challenge from a pastor named Matt Chandler. He says that we should identify the things in our lives that stir our affections for God, and the things that rob our affections for Him. Everything in life affects the way we perceive God and the way we relate to Him. For example, sin separates us from God and robs us of communion with Him. Obedience to God draws us closer to Him. However, certain things which are morally neutral (such as listening to different styles of music, eating certain foods, or different conversation topics) also have the ability to create within us a desire to draw near to God or to make us feel a greater gap between us and God. Here is a list of some things I have identified in my life that stir my affections:

Things that rob me of my joy in Christ and make me feel distant from God:

• Excessive caffeine and sugar--In moderation, these things are essential ingredients to me successfully completing most days. When I take caffeine and sugar in excess, however, they have a tendency to make me feel anxious and jumpy and draw my desires away from God to worry.
• Sara Bareilles--Musically, I love her. Lyrically, she is incredibly depressing, and I often cannot help but be in a bad mood when I listen to her music.
• Excessive rest or lack of rest--The balance in life between work and rest is one that must be delicately maintained. Too much work without rest, and I begin to find my identity in what I do rather than in who I am in Christ, not to mention exhaustion. Too much rest and not enough work, and I begin to suffer from sloth.
• Overeating--So many people take me out to eat here and order excessive amounts of food. They eat a little bit and then tell me to finish the rest. Not wanting to appear rude, I usually do my best to accomplish this feat. After the meal, my body is out of its normal, healthy equilibrium, and I am unable to focus on God because of the discomfort I am experiencing in my stomach.

Things that stir my affections for God:

• Anything deeply theological--Whether this is solid preaching, a good book, or music with totally gospel-centered lyrics (although preferably not southern gospel-styled), things that more clearly reveal to me who God is, how He works, and how I can know Him more deeply typically cause me to draw closer to Him and have a deeper desire to know Him.
• Fresh fruit--This may seem weird, but eat a fresh, ripe mango and tell me God's not awesome for creating it.
• Starry skies--One of my favorite things to do while I'm at home is go outside on a night when it is below 0 degrees (so the sky is too cold for clouds) and stare at the stars, pondering the greatness of the God who created them and knows them all by name. Starry skies are one of the things I miss most in Hong Kong.
• A good night's sleep--It's amazing the difference it makes for my day to be able to wake up with a smile on my face rather than having my first thought of the day be how much I hate my alarm clock.
• Self-sacrificial service for the sake of someone totally undeserving of it--Whether it is hearing a story of someone who gave his or her life so that others could live, or seeing a group of 20-somethings give up their weekday evenings to tutor inner-city kids so they can pass school, I see shadows of Christ's ultimate sacrifice in these things, and the joy I find in these stories of self-sacrificing service always cause me to have a desire to dive more deeply into understanding Christ's sacrifice for me.