Authentic Faith

Been reading a book called Authentic Faith: the Power of a Fire-Tested Faith, by Gary L. Thomas. Thomas seeks to act as a kind of correcting influence on what is sometimes called "feel-good-Christianity." The book is sub-titled, "What if life isn't meant to be perfect but we are meant to trust the One who is?" I think that line is quite wonderful.

Each chapter deals with a "discipline" that is often painful, often not something we would willingly choose, but which is an essential part of our growth in holiness. These disciplines are

Selflessness

Waiting

Suffering

Persecution

Social Mercy

Forgiveness

Mourning

Contentment

Sacrifice

Hope and Fear

Thomas calls these "Fire-testing Seasons from a Loving Father." Here's a sample quote, chosen more or less at random, from his chapter on mourning (p.155):

The time will come when all of us will be done mourning--but that time is nopt now; that time doesn't exist on this earth. We need to mourn. Mourning invites us to a deeper life. It takes us beyond the surface to give us a glimpse of the world as God sees it. Biblically speaking, living life without some degree of mourning is worse than naive; it betrays a lack of wisdom. "For with much wisdom come much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief," Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:18

Thomas has written a stimulating and I think important book. I highly recommend it.