Tag: self

Beyond the Reach of Darkness

“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tower high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

There are some things ‘Mordor’ can’t touch—all darkness is fleeting. From everlasting to everlasting the star will shine in all its beauty. And us with Him.

His love endures forever.

Now that’s hope.

—j

Applause and the Audience of One

Our reputation is never more important to us than the moment we see ourselves through the eyes of the one we most love. How we live after that moment is truth of our love…

“To follow Jesus is to pay the cost of discipleship, and then to die to ourselves, to our own interests, our own agendas and reputations. It is to pick up our crosses and count the cost of losing all that contradicts his will and his way—including our reputations before the world, and our standing with the people and in the communities that we once held dear. It is to live before one audience—the audience of One, and therefore to die to all other conflicting opinions and assessments. There is no room here for such contemporary ideas as “the looking-glass self”, and no consideration here for trivial contemporary obsessions such as one’s legacy.” —Os Guinness

The Audience of One is watching our play—may the applause we hear be His.

—j