INS week 1 link-up

“There is a price to godliness and godliness is never on sale. It never comes cheaply or easily.”

~Jerry Bridges in The Practice of Godliness

By now you've completed chapters 1 and 2 of It's No Secret in this online study. And I'm loving hearing what God has taught you through it so far. Don't miss Melissa's video comments on it today - isn't she fun?!

The teaching and study questions within these two chapters are quite possibly my favorites in the whole book. Here's why - they reliably stir up my soul. They generate a holy revolution within me. They focus me on what is truly important and motivate me to live a little higher, a little more zealously for Christ than I tend to - and there's something satisfying about that.

A couple years ago I was staying in a friend's vacation home.  The TV in the home got very few channels clearly.  On the clearest channel was a marathon of the reality show Whale Wars.  I watched one episode, and thought these people were plum crazy! Then I watched a second episode and thought them irresponsible. Then I watched a third, and I was hooked.

After returning home from vacation I continued watching Whale Wars, and I wasn't even sure why. I have very little in common with these people who volunteer their time and even risk their lives to go into the Arctic ocean for months at a time to try to stop Japanese fishermen from harpooning whales.

I like whales but I'm just not going to do that. I like boating too, but not in a frigid sea with a hole smashed in my hull and fishermen throwing bolts at me!

It's not the kind of show I would normally watch. They have to "beep out" words in every episode. I don't even agree with all the tactics they use in their attempts to stop the fishermen. I'm not sure who is in the right and who is in the wrong here, legally or otherwise. Yet I was captivated.

It took me weeks of watching to figure out why I was so drawn to these "Sea Shepherds" as they call themselves. I finally realized it's because they have totally committed to what is important to them. They don't just talk about it - they actually live sold out for it.  You don't see that a lot these days.

Sure, people sell out for money, power or fame, but that's not the same thing. And I'm convinced that when we stand before God, we'll clearly see none of that is worth the price.

Personally, I wish these Sea Shepherds were as committed to Jesus and saving men as they are to saving the whales. Nonetheless their willingness to abandon themselves to their cause inspires me. As does the woman, risking ridicule, pouring the pricey perfume on Jesus' head in our study.

I wonder, could you feel your soul stirring as you read these chapters? Did something stand out to you?
Did God whisper something in your ear as you pondered and studied this week?

If you've blogged about something from this week's study, post the link here so we can all share in your discovery. It's a great way to learn from each other and get to know each other. Just enter your name and the URL of the specific post (not just your general blog address) below. I'll be stopping by everyone's blog this weekend.