John Piper told a story from John Newton at the Passion 2011 Conference. You can listen to the sermon here.
Newton says, ‘Suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate and his carriage should breakdown one mile before he got to the city, which obligated him to walk the rest of the way to the inheritance. What a fool we should think him if we saw him wringing his hands and blubbering out all the remaining mile, ‘my carriage is broken! my carriage is broken!’.
I had to stop and think; what does my life look like as follower of Christ?
Am I focused on the broken carriage, or is my hope in the inheritance waiting for me?
Some days I carry the weight like a yoke around my neck. So much in this world is beyond our control.
There will always be bills to pay,
cars that break down,
families in crisis,
loved ones who are sick and hurting…
It’s broken isn’t it? This life.
So how are we to respond?
Do we walk, wringing our hands with worry, and grumbling as we go the mile, so focused on our circumstance that we miss the point of this life?
This year I’m praying that God will teach me to look past my circumstance and see His inheritance…
And praise Him:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Ps. 19:14
…No matter where He takes me.
What about you? What is your prayer for this new year?
I’ve heard that story once before, and it seems every time I do it affects me deeply. I can’t wait to see what it stirs us toward.
Thanks for this, Becca.
I listened to John Piper’s sermon, too, from Passion. I’m SO glad that he’s back! And what a wonderful analogy from John Newton. I’m trying to look more FORWARD this year too, and to REST in God’s provision that he’s already prepared for whatever is coming ahead.